Breathe On Me
by Hazel Rayne 008
Summary: Katarina has been able to see glimpses of the future since she was a child; but now her parents send her to Karakura Town to the care of Isshin Kurosaki. She starts to display powers she never knew she had and learns secrets about her parents that cause her to be a living target for Aizen. She must also choose between two men that she's developed feeings for. Renji/OC/Ichigo
1. Chapter 1

**Author Note: This is the second story in my Dream Series and there is no particular order to read them in. No story has the same characters in it. This story was inspired by the song 'Breathe on Me' by Delain. I hope you give it a chance and please review with your thoughts. They definitely inspire me to write more. **

Chapter 1

Dreams are the minds way to relax. The subconscious takes over and flashes appear. Sometimes more vivid ones play like a movie inside the mind. Though rare, there are ones that are glimpses of the future and that's where I belong. My name is Katarina Misora and as long as I can remember, my dreams have been glimpses of the future.

My parents finally had had enough of my dreams, so they are sending me off to a family in Japan that my father knew while in the military. They hoped that some time away from America would be the best thing for me; but it was their way of saying they hoped my crazy dreams would stop.

The plane was cramped and the person next to me bumped into my arm several times. All I could think of was that I was grateful that I had an aisle seat. The flight attendant walked down the walkway servicing the passengers as she moved. My mouth felt dry and I was really warm due to the tight environment.

"Miss" I called raising my hand to catch her attention.

"Yes, is there something you need?" she asked.

"A drink of water please"

Her smile was sweet; but very fake. I supposed her job required her to be civil and nice to everyone. The gentleman next to me sighed heavily and I turned my head to look at him; but he was fast asleep.

When she did return, the bottle of water was frost covered. I was thrilled to know that it was cold and not lukewarm. Twisting the cap, I took a long drink. The cold water slid down my throat, chilling it to be a painful level.

"Attention passengers, we will be arriving in Karakura Town in fifteen minutes. Please fasten your safety belts and prepare for landing" the Captain announced.

Nervous butterflies started to flutter in the middle of my stomach. I was almost to the place that would be my new home until my parents decided to bring me back to America. I was furious with them for making the decision without my input. Sixteen years old and I was on my own. I honestly didn't understand their logic.

The landing was bumpy to say the least and the airport was crowded. Trying to get to my luggage was a freaking core. I think I got stepped on five times, shoved ten times, and hit at least six times. I officially hated airports.

Once I was in line for my suitcase, I started to scan the area for a sign with my name on it. My eyes rolled when I saw the sign. Lime green with hearts, it looked like a little girl designed it. The man that held the sign had spiky black hair and from what I could see, brown eyes. There were two young girls at his side. They couldn't have been any more than ten or eleven years old.

My dark green suitcase appeared on the baggage carousel and I quickly snatched it up. Walking to the family was the hardest thing I had to do. They seemed nice enough; but I simply didn't know them.

"You must be Katarina" he said in an upbeat voice.

"I am and you must be Isshin Kurosaki" I replied wiping the sweat from my palms on the side of my jeans.

"Yes and this is Yuzu and Karin, my twin daughters"

I looked at them closely. Yuzu had light brown hair that framed her tiny childish face and brown eyes. Karin, on the other hand, was more tomboyish. She had short black hair that touched her chin and dark grey eyes. Both waved and gave a small smile in greeting.

"I do have another child. He's around your age. He'll be the one to show you around the town and school"

"I see, what's his name?" I asked curiously.

Neither one of my parents told me that there was going to be someone my age living there. Isshin got a sly smirk upon his face and I suddenly regretted asking for his name. "I'll let him introduce himself when we get home" he stated and I didn't object.

We took a taxi back to their residence. I learned that Isshin was a single father. His wife passed away six years ago. Yuzu was sweet and I instantly liked her motherly nature. He opened the door and I stepped inside.

The warm feeling of home washed over me. Yuzu began to take things out of the cabinets to make dinner. Karin grabbed a soccer ball and rushed outside. I felt out of place; but I took a step forward, sitting my suitcase on the floor next to my discarded shoes.

"Katarina, you'll be sharing a room with the girls. There is a bed for you and you can share their closet" Isshin addressed.

"Thank you and please call me Kat"

He raised an eyebrow at me and then smiled, realizing that I trusted him to take care of me. "You look a lot like your father" he commented and I gave him a satisfied smile. Kat was the nickname I usually went by at him; so there was no reason not to use it here to. I looked over at Yuzu, who was cutting fresh vegetables, and walked closer to her.

"Can I help?" I asked.

"Sure, can you rinse those off" she asked.

"Okay"

I was happy to help. I actually liked to cook, unlike my mother. All she ever did was complain about it. Dinner was finished right as the door opened. I looked up from the counter and saw a young man walk in. He had short spiky orange hair and brown eyes. He was quite tall for his age and I felt something was different about him.

He looked at me and took in every detail of my shoulder length black hair and cerulean blue eyes. My eyes were always called fake back home; but I knew they were real. I was average height for a teenage girl, probably 5'5'' or so. "Uh…" he started; but was interrupted by Isshin kicking him in the stomach.

The young teenage man rolled into the wall next to the door. I was completely stunned by what I was seeing.

"You're late; dinner is a seven in this house"

"I was a freaking minute late, sue me"

I blinked several times, registering what had transpired between them. "You're late to meet the newest member of the family" Isshin stated. The young man turned to look at me once more.

"Katarina Misora, nice to meet you" I said cheerfully.

"Ichigo…"

I shook his extended hand. A spark of electricity shot up through my arm and I quickly retracted my hand. _**"What the hell was that?" **_I mentally asked myself. Yuzu put plates on the table and we quickly sat down to eat. The meal was spent listening to the twins talk about school. To be honest, I couldn't wait to start school in the morning.

After dinner, I carried my suitcase upstairs and into the room I would be sharing with the twins. The bed was big enough for me and the comforter was dark green with black flowers. I smiled at the sweet gesture. They had attempted to learn what they could about me from my parents.

"Katarina…" Ichigo's voice came from the doorway.

"Call me Kat please" I replied.

"Okay then. Kat, here is your school uniform for tomorrow. Dad picked it up before he picked you up at the airport today"

I took the small pile of clothing from him, careful as to not to touch him. "Thank you" I said softly. He took a step back; but never looked away from me. _**"Could he tell that I was different?"**_ I asked myself.

"School starts at eight; I leave here around 7:30 to make it on time"

"Okay, I'll see you in the morning"

"Yeah…"

He turned away and walked across the hall to his room. Opening my bag, I pulled out a nightgown. Sleep easily took over and I found myself at ease within my dreams.

_Ahead of me was a tall building from the town and on top of it was a man. I squinted my eyes, trying to get clear view of him; but all I could see was a black __shihakushō__ and crimson red hair that was pulled up into a high ponytail._

_ The cool breeze blew through my hair and I felt like I knew him somehow. A screeching growl sounded above me and my eyes shot open wide. A large creature appeared out of the sky and headed right in my direction. Saliva dripped from its open mouth and I could feel its hot breath on my skin._

"_Wha…what are you?" I asked the fear soaking into my brain._

_ My body wouldn't move no matter how many times I demanded it to. The beast closed in and I shielded my face with my hands, preparing for the painful death of being eaten alive; but the pain never came. Opening my eyes, I saw the man from the top of the building holding off the creatures attack with a katana blade._

"_Stand back" he ordered._

_ I didn't object and I quickly moved further away; but close enough to watch him. I watched him leap into the air and slash down through the center of the creatures head. It began to dust away immediately into nothing. The man turned to look at me and I got a good look at him._

_ His crimson red hair fell into his brown eyes and I saw the tribal tattoos he hid behind the white headband. I also noticed they were also on his chest, though I couldn't really seem them._

"_Are you alright?" he asked._

"_Uh…yeah…" I replied unable to find my words._

_ He took a step closer to me, examining me closely. Maybe a little too close; but his masculine scent waved under my nose causing butterflies to flutter in my stomach. "Who…are you?" I asked._

I shot up in bed, sweat dripping from my face. Looking around the room, I saw the girls were still asleep. At least I didn't wake them up. Running a hand through my damp sweat filled hair; I tossed the covers off and tiptoed out of the room. The clock in the hall read 4 am. _**"Great, I'm going to have bags under my eyes for my first day of school"**_ I mentally complained.

I looked out the window in the hallway. The moon was full and the light from it shined right through, slightly blinding me. The dream I had started to crawl its way into my mind. Was it a regular dream or was it a glimpse of the future? How could I tell the difference? Do those types of creatures' exist and who was that man? There were so many questions about the dream that bothered me and I hated the fact that I was cursed with this ability.

"Kat…" a sleepy voice said from behind me.

I turned around swiftly and I saw Ichigo standing there with a small glass of water in his hand. His hair was messy and he only wore a white muscle shirt and a pair of shorts. I could see that he was built in a muscular sense. "Ichigo…" I replied almost in a whisper.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"I…I had a dream…" I replied telling the truth without telling the full truth.

"I see…well try not to think about it. We have to get up in a couple hours and there is a lot to do in the morning"

He reached behind his head to scratch it, nervously. Was he nervous around me? I decided to ignore the gesture and just listen to what he said. "Goodnight Ichigo" I said walking back into his sister's room. I lay back down and I let sleep take me again, hoping that the dreams would leave me alone for the rest of the night.

The next morning, I awoke a 630 and I showered before everyone else. The water felt great against my skin and it felt good to wash out the sweat from my hair. I dressed in the uniform that I was given and I sighed when I looked in the mirror. It wasn't me at all. The white blouse hugged my breasts too tightly to my liking; but I knew if I went a size larger I'd be swimming in it. The skirt seemed a little too short for me; but I wasn't about to complain about it.

Yuzu had breakfast on the table already. I was impressed by her ethics. She would be an awesome mother when the day came. Ichigo came into the kitchen dressed in his uniform and Isshin tried to blindside him with a kick to the face. Ichigo caught his leg and swiftly kicked him instead. "Oh come on you two, just sit an eat breakfast" Yuzu protested.

She was an amazing cook and I couldn't help but eat everything, even though I was so full. Ichigo stood up and grabbed his bag from the floor. I got up to follow him outside, waving a goodbye before walking out the door. He walked in front of me, not saying a word to me at all since last night.

"Are you sure you want to show me around school; because if you don't want you, I can do it myself" I said.

"I don't mind, Kat, really. I'm just tired today"

"Oh I see…okay then"

The school was pretty big and bigger than my last school. I followed close behind him as we walked through the front doors. "I…CHI…GO" a young man yelled from down the hall. Ichigo held his arm out and knocked him down to the floor. I blinked confused about the display. "Morning Keigo" he said softly.

"Who is the girl with ya?" he asked.

"This the girl my father took in, her name is Katarina Misora"

"It's nice to meet you, my name is Keigo Asano"

"Likewise"

I had a feeling he was kind of flirt or a class clown. I couldn't decide which one. I waved and continued on after Ichigo. The classroom was nice sized and there were so many students talking around the desks. I reached into my bag and took out the piece of paper with the proof that I was a new student.

When the teacher walked into the room, everyone sat down in their seats. I walked up to her and handed her the blue piece of paper. She smiled at me and it was sincere. "Class, it looked like we have a new student. Her name is Katarina Misora and I hope you all will welcome her. Take a seat behind Ichigo" she announced.

I walked down the long aisle and sat down in the chair behind Ichigo. He slightly turned his head to see me. Our eyes locked for a brief moment; before a loud siren like noise alerted me. No one seemed to notice except Ichigo and a couple others in the room.

"Excuse me, I need to use the restroom" Ichigo announced.

"Alright"

He rushed out of the room like a bat out of hell. I wondered what the hell he was up to and I also wanted to know why no one seemed to notice that loud siren noise. There were so many questions and it was pretty clear that Ichigo had them.

**XxXx Well let me know what you all think of it so far. Your reviews encourage me to write XxXx**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author Note: I do not own Bleach or its characters. I do own Katarina and the storyline. Here is chapter two and I hope everyone enjoys reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Please Review!**

Chapter 2

Listening to the teacher's lecture, I was distracted by a sudden feeling of pressure surrounding me. Looking out the window, I saw Ichigo running across the yard back to the school in a black shihakushō. Silently gasping in surprise, a girl with auburn hair turned in my direction. I met her gaze a brief moment before turning away.

Ichigo returned to the classroom as if nothing happened. When he sat down in front of me, I could feel something was off and not normal about him. It intrigued me tremendously. I was beginning to think my dream wasn't a dream at all; but once again, a glimpse of the future.

I cursed at myself for having this ability and tried the best I could to write notes down in my notebook; but I was too sidetracked by questions. When the bell rung for lunch, I didn't even notice. "Kat" Ichigo called.

"Huh?" I replied shaking my head from the zone I'd been in.

"Are you coming?"

"Uh…yeah"

I picked up my bag and walked across the room to catch up to him. The feeling of pressure was gone; but I still had a nagging feeling that something wasn't right. The sun was bright and warm; it felt great against my bear arms. Ichigo sat down against a tree and the way the sun shone through the leaves made him look pretty damn handsome.

Heat crept to my cheeks and I suppressed it down to take a step closer to him. He looked up at me with those soft brown eyes and my resolved damn near crumbled on the spot. I heard footsteps approaching us from the right side.

"Ichigo are you going to introduce the new girl to us?" a woman's voice called.

"Yeah… Kat, this is Tatsuki Arisawa and the girl beside her is Orihime Inoue" he introduced.

Tatsuki had short spiky black hair and pretty tomboyish even if she was wearing a skirt. Orihime was the girl I saw in class with auburn hair and slate grey eyes. Both girls greeted me warmly and it was a huge difference than back home.

"Do you want to have lunch with us?" Orihime asked.

"Sure" I replied with a smile.

As I walked with the girls, I could feel Ichigo watching me. Was he curious about me as much as I was curious about him? Did he know that I saw him earlier? "So where are you from Katarina?" Tatsuki asked taking a bite from her salad.

"New York City, New York" I replied.

"Wait! You're from America?" Orihime squealed.

"Yes"

"You don't really look American; besides your name, I never would have guessed" Tatsuki commented.

I was surprised they noticed. Most would have casted me out as being a half-breed of nationality; but they didn't seem to care at all. "My mother was American; but my father was Japanese and I take after my father a lot in looks"

"Makes sense"

The bell rung to return to class and I slowly gathered my bag, throwing away my empty lunch bag. The rest of the day, I tried to concentrate on what I was supposed to be learning; but my mind wandered elsewhere, to things I shouldn't be thinking about.

"Kat, are you ready?" Ichigo asked.

"Yeah…" I replied.

I never met his gaze and I simply walked passed him. On the way home, I tried to focus on other things other than my dream. "Did something happen today? You seem upset" Ichigo asked. Instantly, I stopped walking.

"I've just been thinking about the dream I had last night"

"Dreams really shouldn't bother you"

"Can I trust you with something?"

I turned to look at him. His eyes were wider than usual, like I surprised him with the question. He nodded his head instead of answering with a yes or no. "For as long as I can remember, my dreams have always been glimpses of the future. My parents think I'm cursed so they sent me here, hoping that they would go away on their own; but I know they won't. I saw something in my dream last night"

"Do…do you see spirits to?" he asked cautiously.

"If you're asking me if I saw you today dressed in a black shihakushō, then yes"

His eyes grew even wider, shocked that I admitted it at all. I knew he wasn't going to say anything else; so I continued on and never bothered to go home. I was too concerned and I needed to get used to being on my own; because once Ichigo told his father about me, I'd be cast out.

Before long the sun had set and I was in the middle of town. This place seemed awfully familiar to me and that's when I realized this was the same place as where my dream took place. I snapped my head up to look at the tallest building's roof; but there was no one there. Disappointment enveloped me from within; so I decided to turn around and go back to the house.

A loud screeching howl echoed from above me and I realized that the dream was playing out without the man on the rooftop. Looking up, I saw the creature come out of the sky. It had bat-like wings and dark brown in color. A white stone-like mask covered its face.

If that man wasn't around, I knew I wasn't going to be saved; so I turned to run. The growls grew closer and closer as my legs ran as fast as they could down the street. The hot breath coming out of its mouth touched my bear arms and made me sick to my stomach.

"You can't run forever" it called.

"What the hell are you?" I whispered.

The beast flew over my head, knocking me to the pavement. My knees and palms were scrapped, warm blood trickled down from the wounds. It licked its stone lips, readying itself to pounce on me as prey. I scrambled backward on my butt; but he swooped in for the kill and I shut my eyes tight, waiting for the pain.

All I could hear was a clash of metal. I opened my eyes to see the man from my dream. The same long crimson red hair pulled up in a high ponytail with a white headband tied around his forehead. He held back the creatures attack with a sword. Scrambling to my feet, I felt the blood roll down my legs and a sense of pressure around me.

"Stand back" he ordered.

I did as I was told and watched him leap into the air. He slashed down through the center of the beast's head. The dust began to fade away and he turned to look at me. The dream didn't do this man justice.

In person, his face was beyond handsome that it could be considered a god to the girls back home. The way his hair fell into his brown eyes made my heart race and my mouth dry. I noticed he had a lot of the tribal tattoos, not just the ones I saw in my dream.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

I knew the scene fairly well. I had replayed it inside my head many times over. "Yes, I'm fine" I replied hiding the fact that I was nervous. Taking a step closer, he examined my injuries closely. His very male scent waved under my nose causing butterflies to flutter in my stomach.

"Who…are you?" I asked.

"I'll take it from here, Renji" Ichigo's voice interrupted.

"Why the hell did it take you so long?" Renji asked.

I turned to see Ichigo standing there in the same black shihakushō as Renji. The only difference was that Ichigo held a large sword on his back, while Renji's smaller sword was at his side. Renji took out the blade and lifted it up so the hilt bottom was facing my forehead.

"Well it's time to perform a Konsō" Renji stated.

"Konsō?" I asked.

"Better take another look Renji, that girl isn't a soul dumbass" Ichigo insulted.

Renji took a look at my chest and I blushed as his eyes lingered. He looked back up at Ichigo. "Who is she then; she's not like Orihime and Chad, is she?" he asked. I was confused. What did Orihime and Chad have to do with what happened?

"Her parents sent her to my dad. She's from America, I guess"

"Why are you talking about me like I'm not even here?" I yelled.

My eyes narrowed in anger when both men looked at me. I clenched my scraped palms into fists at my sides, not caring about the pain that surged up my arms. Ichigo's eyes softened when he met my confused expression. "Katarina…" he whispered.

"So that's your name?" Renji asked.

"Yes; but you can call me Kat if you want" I replied.

"I'm the Lieutenant of Squad Six, Renji Abarai"

"Huh?"

"Quit confusing her! She doesn't know anything about you guys"

Renji looked at me again. The curiosity etched his gorgeous features. "Tell me please, maybe it will shed some light on some things about myself" I pleaded. He looked at Ichigo for a confirmation.

"Alright; but we need to go home. Yuzu had been worried about you" Ichigo replied.

"She lives with you!" Renji yelled.

"Oh shut up, get your mind out of the gutter"

"I'm still here!" I yelled.

Renji and Ichigo leapt up into his bedroom window as I unlocked the front door. I walked through and saw Isshin watching TV in the living room. He never budged from his spot; but his eyes did shift to see me and then returned to the show.

I walked upstairs and the twins' room door was shut. I figured that they must be asleep; I'd have to be quiet when I go in later. Ichigo opened the door of his room and I stepped inside. His scent was all through the space and it was intoxicating my senses. The bed was up against the wall by his window and there was a desk beside it.

Renji sat on the floor with his back against the bed. Ichigo reached into the bottom drawer of his desk and pulled out a first-aid kit. I snatched the box out of his hand, opening it up quickly. Pulling out antibacterial ointment and gauze, I started to apply the clear gel onto the wounds on my knees.

"Where to start?" Ichigo asked himself.

"Start at the beginning moron" Renji commented.

"Shut up, dumbass; I know"

I wrapped my knees with the gauze and looked up, waiting for him to explain everything to me. Renji looked at me, straight into my eyes. "I'm a Soul Reaper. We are the guardians of souls. Ichigo is a substitute Soul Reaper" he stated. I looked over at Ichigo for confirmation that it was the truth.

"A couple months ago, a Soul Reaper came to this town and she saved my life by giving me her powers as a Soul Reaper"

"What was that creature that attacked me?"

"They are called hollows. They are souls that lose their hearts after their soul-chain breaks"

I thought about it a moment and I realized that it made more sense than I would admit. Ichigo saw me fumbling with the bandages on my palms and slid down to the floor in front of me. "Here, let me…" he offered. His soft hands took a hold of my palms and moved them face up.

"What about you Renji? You said you are a Lieutenant, what does that mean?" I asked.

The cool gel eased the burning in the wounds on my palms; but it was difficult to ignore Ichigo soft hands on mine, wrapping them in bandages. "The place souls go to after they pass on is called The Soul Society and inside that is where the Soul Reapers live. It's called the Sereitei and we are divided into thirteen squads, each lead by a Captain and then followed by a Lieutenant" Renji explained.

"Wow…" I whispered impressed by his rank.

I was familiar with military ranks thanks to my father; but this man was second in command of an entire squad of soldiers. Unfortunately, none of this explained my dreams or why I could see souls, hollows, and Soul Reapers. I pulled my hands away from Ichigo's grasp and shifted my body away from him. "Thank you for tell me all of this and I promise I won't say anything to anyone; but it doesn't help me at all" I stated.

"What do you mean?" Renji asked.

"She has dreams that glimpses of the future" Ichigo replied.

"Hmm"

"Do you think you could go back to the Soul Society and ask around for information about her ability?"

"I guess I could"

I stood up and walked over to Renji's much taller frame. "Thank you for saving me tonight" I said and his smile returned to his lips.

"You're welcome. I'll look into your ability"

"Thank you so much"

With that said, he leapt out the window. I turned to look at Ichigo once again, then realized that I was alone with him in his bedroom. "I should probably go to bed. Thank you for telling me this, Ichigo" I said softly.

"You're welcome. Goodnight Katarina"

"How come you hardly ever use Kat?"

He looked at me like he just got caught stealing candy from a candy store. I could see his mind racing through the look in his eyes. "I like Katarina better; it's prettier than Kat is. That name suits you better" he admitted.

My heart pounded against my chest at his words. Never have I heard someone say that to me about my name; not even my parents. I was starting to like him and that was clearly a bad thing, considering my living situation. I couldn't find words to say to him. All I could do was smile and walk quietly out of his room and cross the hall to the room I slept in.

I tossed and turned for at least another hour, trying to get my body to settle down; but eventually sleep took over and I was thankful that there were no dreams at all, not even the normal kind.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author Note: I appreciate the review and all the follow/favorite adds. They mean a lot to me. Here is chapter 3 and I hope you all enjoy reading it. Please review.**

Chapter 3

**The Soul Society**

**Renji's POV**

I leapt across the rooftops as quickly as I could. Squad Thirteen was at the farthest corner of the Sereitei and the only person I knew that would help was Rukia. Knocking on the large office doors, I announced "Squad Six Lieutenant, Renji Abarai".

The doors opened quickly and Rukia stood there with a smile. Her short black hair brought out her violet eyes and complimented her petite stature. "Renji, what brings you here?" she asked. Normally her voice would have a very positive effect on me; but for some reason it seemed plainly normal.

"I need your help with some research"

"What kind of research?"

"On the ability to see the future through dreams"

Rukia's eyes went wide. I had obviously surprised her with my request. "Did something happen to make you ask?" she asked. I leaned against the wall, crossing my arms over my chest. I didn't know if I should tell her about Katarina; but I didn't see a way around telling her.

"A girl was sent to live with Ichigo's family. She can see hollows and Soul Reapers. I actually thought she was a soul when I saved her last night; but she said that ever since she was a child, she could see glimpses of the future through dreams"

"I see"

She was lost in thought and I just kept my mouth shut, letting her process the information. White hair caught my attention and I turned my head to see Captain Ukitake walk into the room. "Renji, it's so nice to see you" he greeted warmly.

"Likewise, Captain Ukitake" I replied.

"So what brings you all the way out here?"

"I was curious about a certain ability and would like some information about it"

He perked up in curiosity. The one thing I liked the most about him, was that he was full of knowledge and if he didn't know, he'd look into it. "What kind of ability?" he asked.

Rukia was still silent in front of me. It wasn't like her to be quiet at all. "The ability to see the future through dreams" I answered. Captain Ukitake froze almost instantly, which made me think he knew something about it.

"Have you met someone with this ability?" he asked.

"Yes, in the World of the Living"

"I see…"

"Please tell me, if you know something" I pleaded.

**Karakura Town**

**Katarina's POV**

6:30 came early and the loud buzzing of my alarm woke me instantly. I practically walked with my eyes closed to the shower; but after the hot water pounded against my skin for a few minutes, I started to wake up.

"Kat, is that you in the shower?" Yuzu yelled from the outside of the door.

"Yeah, I'll be out in a minute" I replied.

I reached for the knobs to turn the water off and then I took the oversized towel from the rack into my hands. As I dried off, thoughts of last night came rushing back. Were there really such things as Soul Reapers and Hollows? I guessed that I was in denial, because Ichigo was living proof and so was Renji.

"Renji…" I whispered.

How could I have forgotten about him? He saved me last night. I ran a hand over my wet hair and succumbed to the fact that I was in denial. Another knock on the door interrupted my thoughts. "I'm coming" I yelled.

I wrapped the towel around me, realizing that I had forgotten my clothes in my room. When I opened the door, Ichigo stood before me in a white tank top and black shorts. He stared at me for a moment before turning his head, hiding the blush that tinted his cheeks.

"I'm sorry; I forgot to take my clothes with me"

"Don't worry about it, just go get dressed"

I walked passed him and he quickly walked into the bathroom, closing the door behind him. Dressing in my school uniform, I walked downstairs and sat down at the table. Yuzu sat a plate of blueberry pancakes in front of me. The smell made my stomach growl and my mouth water in anticipation.

"Wow Yuzu, this looks amazing" I commented.

"Thank you" she replied.

"How was your first day yesterday? You didn't come home until late; so I didn't get a chance to ask"

I chewed the first bite and swallowed hard. "It went well. I met some interesting people" I replied silently referring to Renji. Continuing to eat, I heard Ichigo walk into the room.

"Good morning, Ichigo" Yuzu greeted.

"Morning" he whispered avoiding my gaze.

I had officially scared him to the point of the silent treatment. He made no eye contact with me at the table, nor did he speak a word to me on the way to school. Students were gathered outside the building and I saw Tatsuki and Orihime waving at me.

"I'm sorry Ichigo…" I said and walked passed him to greet them.

I didn't give him a chance to answer; but then again I didn't expect him to. Orihime's smile was sincere and I was happy to know someone liked me, even if I was different.

"Good morning, Kat" Tatsuki said.

"Morning" I answered with a smile.

"What's with Ichigo? He keeps looking over here?" she asked.

I sighed heavily. Was he really that upset about this morning? Shifting my body around, I caught a glimpse of his brown eyes looking in my direction and for the first time I actually felt annoyed.

"What is your problem, Ichigo?" I yelled.

He looked at me, wide eyed. I doubt that he had expected me to outburst like that. He didn't say anything and that irritated me even more. I turned heel and stormed off into the building.

"Okay class, everyone take your seats" the teacher instructed.

**Soul Society**

**Renji's POV**

Doing research was never my strong suit; but I was curious about this ability and her. Captain Ukitake was vague on the details, claimed to only have heard of it in high leveled Soul Reapers; but as far as I could tell, Katarina was human.

I took a book off the shelf and blew the dust away with a breath of air. Flipping through the pages, I came across a section of relevance. Visions of the future at a low level are only seen in dreams; but the ability can grow into a simple touch. The ability appears mostly in females and not subject to race.

"Well that doesn't help. Is she human or something else?" I grumbled.

I pulled another book off the shelf and scanned the pages carefully. Sucking in a surprised breath, I quickly shut the book and rushed out of the library. "What's the rush, Renji" Rukia asked avoiding being run over by me.

"Sorry, I just found what I was looking for" I replied.

"Are you going back to tell Ichigo?"

"Yeah…"

She looked at me with longing in her eyes. Did she miss the World of the Living? "Renji! Orders from Head Captain Yamamoto" Kiyone yelled from down the walkway. I looked at the Third Seat from Squad Thirteen and waited for her to catch her breath.

"What are the orders?" I asked.

I wondered why Kiyone was the one giving me the orders; I wasn't part of her squad. She straightened and turned formal. "You are to return to the World of the Living and look out for Karakura Town" she replied.

"Isn't that Ichigo's job though?" I protested.

"I don't know, I'm just the messenger"

"What's the big deal? You were going there anyway" Rukia interrupted.

**Karakura Town**

**Katarina's POV**

I leaned against a large maple tree at lunch. I was beyond tired for some reason and a nap was exactly what I needed. My eyes closed and I listened to the other student's chatter; but it didn't stop the dream from entering my mind.

_ Blood, there was so much blood and I couldn't tell whose it was. I followed the trail and reached Orihime's unconscious body and beside her was Chad. A hollow was staring down at them; but this hollow was different than the one I had seen before. This one didn't have a mask and I could see the shadow of his face._

"_Orihime! Chad!" Ichigo yelled._

_ His worried expression pained me. I was invisible to everyone, just a spectator in this dream. Seeing Ichigo get beat down was something I never wanted to see; but my body wouldn't wake up to end this nightmare._

"_The girl is coming with me" the hollow stated._

_ I saw myself unconscious in his large arm. Ichigo crawled to his knees and watched as I disappeared into a black voice behind the giant._

"Kat…Kat…" a voice called shaking me awake.

"Orihime…" I whispered.

"Are you okay? You were crying in your sleep"

How embarrassing, I fall asleep and then I have an awful dream vision. To top it off, I guess I was crying during it. Orihime knelt down in front of me with concerned eyes. "I'm alright. No need to worry" I said standing up.

The rest of the day was spent thinking about the dream. Was someone really going to kidnap me? I wished that I could tell someone about this; but who would I tell? After the bell rung to end the day, I slipped out of the room quickly and hopefully unnoticed.

I walked alone on the sidewalk that leads to the Kurosaki residence. Standing at the house, I felt like someone was watching me. Turning around, I came face to face with Ichigo. "Don't do that! I almost punched you" I stated.

"Sorry" he said softly and reached to unlock the front door.

I didn't understand what I had done to make him not talk to me. The moment the door was open, I realized that Isshin wasn't there. Ichigo looked at the piece of paper left on the table. "Dad's at a meeting, he'll be home late tonight" he said and then turned the corner.

Following him, I reached for his arm to prevent him from walking any further. "Ichigo, tell me what I did to make you so mad at me" I pleaded. I normally wouldn't be begging like this about anything; but I was living here and I hated the thought of someone in the house that hated me.

"I'm not mad" he stated without even looking at me.

"Really? Then why the hell can't you even look me in the eye?"

He turned around and stared at me for a long moment before opening his mouth, "I almost saw you naked this morning. I don't know what you want me to say" he admitted. Rolling my eyes at him, I reached my hand up and smacked him in the forehead.

"Get over it. Don't dwell on something as trivial as that" I replied.

Our eyes connected, and in that moment I felt like he could really see me as a person and not someone who had some curse; but a sudden crash of glass made our connection break. Running up the stairs, Ichigo opened his bedroom door to see Renji lying on the floor. "What the hell are you doing here?" he yelled.

Renji stood up and brushed the shards of glass off his uniform. "I'm here because I have orders to be here" he replied with a grin upon his lips. I never noticed until now, that they seemed pretty similar in personality. I wondered if Renji would have gotten so angry if he had seen me in just a towel this morning. _**"Where did that thought come from?"**_ I mentally asked myself.

"Okay; but that doesn't explain what you're doing crashing through my freaking window" Ichigo yelled again.

"I don't know what the big deal is"

"Calm down you two. The window can be fixed" I said trying to soothe the problem over.

Renji turned to look at me and a smile replaced the grin he had before. Ichigo noticed the smile right away and stepped in-between us. "Did you find something out about her ability?" he asked. It was flattering that he was protective; but not so much when I was fine with Renji looking at me.

"Yeah a little bit. There isn't much information about it, to be honest" Renji answered.

"That's okay, at this point I'm ready to hear anything" I commented.

I wasn't ready to tell them about the dream I had earlier today at school; but eventually I knew I was going to have to tell them and hopefully they knew what it meant. I sat down on the floor leaning against Ichigo's closet door, sliding my legs beneath me as a cushion for my bottom.

"Okay please tell me what you know" I said a nicely as I could.

**XxXx I'm sorry that I left if off there; such a cliffhanger. Please review with your thoughts. XxXx**


	4. Chapter 4

**Author Note: Thanks to Anna Riza Kurosaki, Black Primrose '94, Guest, and Yashiru Kusajishi for the lovely reviews. Thanks to all the follower/favorite adds as well. I was pretty hesitant on writing this story; but I've received positive reviews so I decided to continue it as well as my other story 'Amaranthine'. Well here is a question for all the readers….who would you like to see Katarina paired with? Ichigo or Renji? Here is chapter 4 and I hope all of you enjoy. Please Review.**

Chapter 4

**Katarina's POV**

I stared at Renji, patiently waiting for his information. The vision from earlier was starting to get under my skin and I made the decision not to tell them about it. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that everyone that had got hurt in the dream was because they were protecting me.

As it stood right now, I couldn't see anyone risking their life for someone they just met; but who knows when that vision was supposed to happen. In the past, I've had ones that didn't happen until months later.

"Spit it out already" Ichigo said leaning forward in his desk chair.

"I spent hours in the library researching and only a few things were listed. Things like…it appears mostly in women and it's not subject to race; but the thing I found to be more relevant was the fact that visions derive from kidō" Renji explained.

"What's kidō?" I asked.

I looked from Renji to Ichigo and back again. Ichigo shrugged his shoulders. "I don't use it, so you explain it" he stated. Renji seemed annoyed with Ichigo's lack of input; because he clenched his hands into fists next to him.

"You do so! What do you think your Getsuga Tensho is?" he snapped.

"Alright fine; but I don't use those fancy spells like Rukia does" Ichigo snapped back.

I wondered if they were always like this and if they were, I didn't have a very good impression of Soul Reapers. "I thought this conversation was about my visions" I said putting a hand on each of their faces to separate them.

"Oh right, kidō is a form of combat based on spells. There are two categories: Hadō for direct attacks and Bakudō for battle support" Renji explained.

"So my visions would fall under the Bakudō category?" I asked.

"Yeah; but the main things is that you'd have to be a direct descendant of a kidō master from the Kido Corps in the Soul Society's military for them to appear"

The word military sparked my interest; but my father seemed normal and even he thought my dreams were a curse. With the information, it caused even more questions. I stood up from the floor and turned away from them; because I refused to let them see me upset.

"I'm sorry that it wasn't much" Renji apologized.

"It's alright. I think I need to be alone"

"Katarina…" Ichigo said softly.

I ignored his call and walked out of his room. Crossing the hall, I walked into the room I slept in. Collapsing onto my bed, I stared at the white ceiling. "What am I?" I whispered before snuggling my head into my pillow.

**Renji's POV**

"What do you think about all this?" I asked.

"Honestly, I don't know" Ichigo replied.

"You know there is someone else we can go to about her"

"You mean Kisuke?"

"Yeah"

He turned his head away and turned around facing his desk. "Look into it if you want; but I have school work to do" he snapped. I blinked a couple times, wondering why he was so angry; but before I could ask him about it, I could feel a sudden burst of spiritual pressure.

"Who…who's is that?" I asked.

"It's no one I know" Ichigo replied.

As fast as I sensed it, it disappeared. Was it someone teasing us or was it something else? It was weird, because it felt familiar somehow. "Alright, I'll head over to Urahara's" I said kneeling on the windowsill.

"Yeah, okay"

I leapt down and landed on my feet, looking up at the other window on the opposite side of the house for a fleeting second before leaving the property. Kisuke Urahara was the former Captain of Squad Twelve and Chief of the Department of Research and Development. If anyone would know something, it would be him.

**Katarina's POV**

I awoke to the sound of someone opening dresser drawers a few feet away. Yuzu was looking for something it seemed and I sat up, yawning. She turned to face me. "I'm sorry Kat, I didn't mean to wake you" she apologized.

"It's alright. I needed to get up anyway" I replied.

"Dinner is almost ready"

"Thanks, I'll be down in a minute"

Rolling off my bed, I walked towards the mirror to brush my hair. The girl that was reflecting back at me didn't seem like me at all. My eyes were lighter in color. None of this seemed real to me and all of it was because of my stupid curse of having visions.

Opening the door, I saw Ichigo emerge from his room. He took one look at me and then continued down the stairs. I followed him a few seconds later, contemplating what to say to him; if anything at all.

I didn't say anything once dinner was served and Isshin looked at us with an odd look. "What's the matter with you two? Did Ichigo make a declaration of love towards you and you rejected him or something?" he asked with a smile.

"Shut the hell up. I said no such thing like that" Ichigo yelled.

"No, Isshin; he didn't so anything as pointless as that" I stated and got up from the table with my empty plate in hand.

"Kat…" Karin said softly.

Gently, I placed the plate into the sink and turned the water on. Reaching for the dish soap, I put the dirty pots into the sink of water. "Kat, I'll do those" Yuzu protested.

"I don't mind" I replied.

Doing the dishes always seemed to calm me down; but this time, it made me think more. I had no idea what to make of the information Renji gave me and I refused to be upset about it; in fact, I was more mad than anything.

I sat the last clean dish in the drainer and placed the towel over them. Yuzu, Karin and Isshin were in the living room watching TV and I assumed Ichigo was in his room; but when I turned around he was standing there watching me.

"Ichigo…" I said slightly surprised he was there.

"There might be more information"

"Huh?"

"Renji went to someone we know here to ask about it"

"Oh…I see"

I walked passed him and turned towards the stairs; but I felt his hand grab my arm. Narrowing my eyes, I looked down at his hand holding my arm. "What do you want?" I asked with a harsh tone that I didn't really mean to express.

"I'm sorry about what my father said"

Pulling my arm out of his grasp, I turned to face him. "I don't care about what your dad said. I knew it was a joke to try and end the silence" I replied with a much softer tone. Even if it had been a joke, it still bothered me. I envied how their family acted.

My family acted like they were walking on eggshells when I was around and being an only child; I had no one to talk to. I was happy that Ichigo's family acted so normal around me; but it wouldn't last.

"I'm sorry" he said again.

"What for?"

"For being so quiet around you. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings"

"Who said my feelings were hurt?"

A coy smile etched my lips and I relaxed my tense posture. He laughed at my miserable attempt in sarcasm. "Come one, we have homework to do" he said walking passed me. Was he really inviting me to do homework with him?

We spent twenty minutes doing the math work we were assigned and to be honest, I really didn't understand the point of equations and higher power problems. I closed my text boy and found Ichigo looking at me again.

"Were your eyes always that color?" he asked.

I was completely stunned for a moment. I really didn't think anyone would notice the change; but then again, he was a Soul Reaper. A lot of things went through my mind and I didn't know what to tell him. "No, I noticed them after I woke up from the nap I took after school" I admitted.

"Did anything else change?" he asked.

"Not that I've noticed"

"Maybe I should go tell Renji this"

"Now?"

He looked up at me with a puzzled look upon his face. I shifted when I saw a shimmer of crimson hair out of the corner of my eye. "What's up?" Renji greeted from the open window.

"Don't you ever knock?" Ichigo snapped.

"Calm down" he replied.

Ichigo let out an annoyed sigh and faced Renji. "Did you learn anything new?" he asked but just by looked at him, I knew that he hadn't. It really didn't surprise me any.

"No; but he's looking into it" Renji answered.

"Maybe you should have waited to go to him"

"Why?"

"Because there have been some changes"

Renji's eyebrows rose and then turned his head in my direction. His eyes lingered on my body for a moment and I was tempted to yell at him; but when his eyes met mine, the anger subsided. "Your eyes are different" he commented.

"Yeah, I noticed them after I woke up from a nap today" I replied.

"How old are you?"

"Sixteen, why?"

"It might be relevant to Kisuke when I go back and tell him about the change in your eyes"

I was confused and then it hit me. Kisuke must be the man that Renji went to for information. I snapped out of the zone I was in, when I heard the strange alarm go off inside Ichigo's pocket. "It's a hollow" he stated.

"Is that what that thing means?" I asked.

"Yeah"

He placed the odd looking badge against his chest and he popped free of his body. My eyes remained wide in shock. Seeing it up close made me wonder about all kinds of things; things like, what happens to his body without a soul to occupy it and if he was technically dead when he leaves his body. Without saying anything, Renji leapt out the window and Ichigo turned away from me. "I'll see you later" he said and then jumped out the window.

"Ichigo…Renji…" I whispered.

Waiting was the worst part and I was getting anxious just sitting in my room watching the twins sleep. I didn't know what made me go; but I found myself sneaking out of the house and following my instincts; but I knew I was following them somehow.

Running down an empty street that I was unfamiliar with, I felt a sudden push of pressure around me. It was similar to the one I felt the first day at school. "You smell delicious" a voice echoed.

"Who said that?" I asked turning around swiftly.

A laugh echoed next and a chill ran up my spine. There was no one I could see, just a feeling of pressure. A warm feeling of air brushed against my arm and I swatted my hand at the space next to it; but felt nothing.

"It's got to be this way" Renji's voice yelled.

I looked up and saw them running down the street towards me. "Kat, what are you doing here?" Renji asked. Taking a step closer towards them, I felt the pressure again making me freeze mid-step. The laugh echoed once more and I turned my head to see a hollow appear in thin air.

"Run Katarina!" Ichigo yelled.

I couldn't move and I squinted my eyes in fear. I felt an odd tingle in my right hand. Ignoring it, I still attempted to cover my face. A groan of protest alerted me and when I opened my eyes, the hollow was immobilized with a crackling yellow energy rope. "What the hell did you do to me?" he asked groaning in irritation. My hand was circled with the same crackling yellow energy.

"That's Hainawa" Renji stated.

"Talk later, I'll get rid of the hollow" Ichigo replied.

He leapt up and slashed through the head. The hollow dusted away and I fell to my knees, holding my right hand close to my chest. The energy had already dispersed; but I could still feel the tingles pulsing under the skin.

**Renji's POV**

Looking at her confused expression made me really think about things. I knew that I should have searched harder at the library. Her eyes started to become glassy and I knew she was close to crying. Quietly, I took a step towards her. "What was that, Renji?" she asked.

"How did you know it was me?" I asked.

Her face was away from us; so she couldn't see us without turning around. She stood up and turned around. Her eyes were the purest shade of blue, almost a crystal shade. They complimented her black hair. "You have a calm presence. Ichigo's is more uncontrolled" she replied.

"So you can sense spiritual pressure now?" Ichigo asked.

"Is that what it's called?"

"Yeah"

"Then I guess I can"

She was a fast learner and I've only known her for two days. There was no doubt in my mind that she was a descendent of a kidō master; but the question was, who had a child with a human?


	5. Chapter 5

**Author Note: Thank you so much for the awesome reviews. I need all of your help with decided on who will end up paired with Katarina. How many of you want to see her with Renji? How many of you want to see her with Ichigo? Please review.**

Chapter 5

**Katarina's POV**

I still couldn't believe what had just transpired only minutes before. My right hand was still tingling and I wished that I knew what was going on. "What was that I just used? I asked.

"It's called Hainawa, a kidō spell under the Bakudō category" Renji answered.

Even knowing what it was didn't give me any sense of relief; but at least I wasn't completely helpless. Another question perked inside my head. "I'm not a Soul Reaper, how could I use kidō?" I asked.

"I honestly don't know. That's what we are hoping Kisuke can tell us"

Closing my eyes, I let out a disappointed sigh. How did my life become this complex and unreal? If visions weren't enough, now I just sprouted kidō abilities. "Just what the hell am I?" I whispered holding back tears that burned the corners of my eyes.

"Katarina, it's going to be okay. We will figure it out" Ichigo said trying to comfort me.

"No, it's not alright. Since you said that the Soul Society has a military, how long do think it would take for them to figure out what an abomination I am!" I yelled choking on my words as the tears spilled over my lashes.

"You are not an abomination, Rina" Renji said catching me off guard.

My heart skipped a beat upon hearing the name he called me. Not a single person has ever called me that. It was his name for me and I couldn't help but love it. The feeling of being different was overwhelming and I shook my head. "Yes I am!" I shouted.

"Just take a deep breath" Renji coaxed.

"Do you really think I'd go unpunished for using kidō without being a Soul Reaper?"

My world was spinning out of control and they looked at me with sympathetic expressions; but neither one could help me at all. Flashes of my parents yelling at me came thundering inside my head. It was pretty obvious they were ashamed of me.

They never once held me or comforted me. They were always cautious when I was around; but to be honest, my mother was worse than my father. He was mostly away on deployments and such. I barely saw him. The last thing I saw was Renji's hair flowing forward, as if he was leaning in to grab me; before everything went black.

**Renji's POV**

Katarina collapsed unconscious and I swiftly caught her in my arms, before she hit the ground. It was probably a combination of things that overloaded her. Ichigo walked closer to me and peered down at her. "Now what?" he asked.

"I don't know"

"Let's take her home"

I lifted her into my arms and began running next to Ichigo. Her head snuggled into my chest and I couldn't help but blush a little at her unconscious gesture. Several strands of her silky black hair fell into her closed eyes and it made her look ethereal.

When we got back to his house, he got back into his body and then came outside to take Katarina out of my arms. I was still in Soul Reaper form and couldn't exactly carry her inside, with the risk of being seen.

"Renji, you got to let go of her" Ichigo stated.

"Oh right, sorry"

I hesitantly passed her into Ichigo's arms. Sensing someone close, I flash-stepped up to the rooftop trying to listen to what was being said. "What happened to my dear Kat" Isshin coddled. The front door shut and I couldn't hear anything else. Jumping through the open window, Ichigo's bed cushioned my feet.

**Katarina's POV**

I couldn't see anything but black; but I was aware of what was going on outside. A sense of pressure clamped down around my chest, making it slightly difficult to breathe. My body felt like it was burning up and it was almost painful.

"She's burning up" Isshin's voice echoed.

His voice seemed panicked and all I wanted to do was open my eyes; but I couldn't seem to force myself to wake up. Ichigo's presence was next to me along with the twins. Renji's presence was further away and it made me uneasy. Something wasn't right about any of this. A familiar small light flashed several times before engulfing the darkness, sucking me into a vision.

_Loud painful sobs escaped my throat and tears rolled down my cheeks, because what lay before me was my mother; dead. An angry scream bellowed from my mouth and a sudden feeling of power encased my body. A red aura surrounded me and everything around began to shatter, disintegrate, and fall over. A wind whipped out of the bubble of energy and the wall was subject to a hole punctured through it._

"_Katarina, it's not your fault" my father's voice sounded._

"_How isn't it? I wasn't here when they came looking for me" I cried._

_ His hand touched my shoulder and I instantly calmed down. "Trust me; it's not your fault. It's mine" he replied and hugged me tightly._

Screaming, I sat straight up from where I was laying. Isshin's hands cupped my shoulders and eased me back down. "Easy, Kat. You're safe" he soothed. I was breathing heavy; but at least I was awake.

"Yuzu, go get a cool washcloth" Isshin ordered calmly.

"Sure" she replied.

"Karin, can you get clean sheets for her bed?"

"Yeah" she replied.

Both girls took off out of our bedroom and I looked around to see a cloth covered in blood next to me. "What is that?" I asked weakly. Ichigo lifted his head to meet my gaze. His expression was full of concern and if my body would have let me, I would have reached my hand out to touch his face.

"You were crying blood" he answered quietly.

"What….how is that possible?" I asked.

His response terrified me. I've never heard of that happening in real life anywhere. I've probably scared Isshin crazy by now. I looked down at my hands and just stared at them. "Just what the hell am I" I whispered again.

**Ichigo's POV**

Hearing her asked the same question was almost heartbreaking because no one had an answer to give her. My dad walked out of the room to help Karin with the blankets leaving us alone.

"Ichigo" Renji whispered from the doorway.

Katarina struggled to move her head to see him. "Kisuke has some information" he whispered again and she bolted upright, cringing in pain as I steadied her. I looked at her crimson tinted eyes lashes and wondered what had happened to her.

"We will go in the morning. She needs to rest now" I stated.

"How is she?" Renji asked.

"I'm fine" she interrupted.

"You are not fine" I grumbled looking into her ever changing eyes.

They had changed in color once more and now they were the purest shade of blue. Her pupils were fairly large and vibrant. Despite being in such a weak state, she was still a sight for sore eyes. Renji moved away the moment my father returned with new blankets. "Ichigo, can you lift her up" my father asked.

Without questioning him, I scooped her up into my arms. Ignoring the increase in my heartbeat, I carried her out into the hallway. Her cheeks were slightly tinted pink and it just added to her beauty. I couldn't deny the fact that she was highly attractive; but I probably could never tell her that to her face.

"You can put me down" she quietly said against my chest.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah"

I let her slide out of my arms and stand next to me. Her body was still shaky; but a lot stronger than before. Once she took several steps without falling, I knew she was alright. Dad came out of the room and saw her walking around, which made him smile in relief.

"Glad to see you're feeling better" he told her.

"Thank you" she replied.

"Anytime"

He continued on down the stairs, leaving us once again; alone. Renji opened my bedroom door and Katarina looked at him with soft eyes. Something about the way he looked at her, made me a little uneasy.

**Katarina's POV**

"How long was I out for?" I asked.

"A couple hours" Ichigo replied.

"I see…"

Remembering what I had seen while I was unconscious made me shutter in horror. I really hoped that it was just a dream; but I knew differently. "Thank you for being around when the hollow attacked" I said and they both gained a slight smile to their lips.

"There is no need to say thank you" Renji replied.

I could have easily hugged them both; but I held back. Renji took a step closer to me and cupped my cheek with his hand. A breath was caught in my throat and I didn't know what to do. "Your skin is cool. You must be feeling better" he commented and removed his hand. Without thinking, I wrapped my arms around his abdomen tightly.

I could feel him stiffen in my embrace and I knew that he hadn't expected it; but I couldn't help it. I owed a lot to him and Ichigo. Pulling my arms away from him, I turned towards Ichigo and repeated the same things. Again, I felt the same stiffness in his body. It made me think that no girl has ever hugged either one of them.

I pulled away from Ichigo and yawned discretely. I realized that my body was still worn out from earlier. Shifting away from them, I moved towards my room. "I'll see you in the morning. Goodnight Ichigo…Renji"

"Goodnight Rina" Renji said and I about froze again upon hearing it.

"Goodnight Katarina" Ichigo said.

The next morning, I felt refreshed. My hair was sticky and gross from the fever I had last night. Getting up, I grabbed a pair of jean shorts and a red sleeveless top with black glitter roses at the bottom from the closet; then I took a bra and a pair of panties from the plastic drawer next to my bed.

I walked out of the room quietly, careful not to wake Yuzu and Karin. They had stayed up way passed their bedtime helping me through my fever. The shower felt amazing on my aching skin. Squirting shampoo into my hand, I blended it into my hair. Using my fingers, I massaged my scalp clean along with my hair.

"Katarina, are you almost done?" Ichigo called from outside the door.

"Yeah" I yelled.

I quickly cleaned my body with a lavender soap, my mother had sent with me. Turning the water off, I dried off and got dressed. Opening the door, Ichigo was leaning against the opposite wall. "Bathroom is all yours" I said walking up to his much taller frame.

"Alright" he replied without really looking at me.

Once he was inside, I just stared at the closed door. "What is up with him? One day he's nice to me and the next he's cold, what the hell?" I mumbled to myself turning towards the stairs. Quietly, I padded across the kitchen floor to get to my sandals on the rug next to the door.

"Where are you heading to today?" Isshin's voice said behind me.

"Uhh…I was going to go for a walk on this beautiful day" I replied with the first thought that came to mind.

"Is Ichigo going with you?"

"Yeah he is" Ichigo answered before I could even say a word.

His hair was still wet and water droplets rolled down the side of his face. I really hated it when my words were caught in my through and I could feel the blush tint my cheeks without warning. Isshin looked at his son and gave him a nod, then stepped aside. "Watch her carefully" he instructed before we walked out the door.

"Were you trying to go without me or something?" Ichigo asked me.

"No"

"Then what were you doing?"

"Nothing"

We walked a little more in silence before I had to guts to ask him what his problem was this morning. "Ichigo" I said softly coming to walk beside him instead of behind him. He looked down at me.

"Yeah"

"Are you upset with me or something?"

"Why would you ask such a dumb question?"

"Because you didn't even look at me this morning; was it because I hugged you last night?"

He stopped walking instantly. I noticed something was different about him. "I really thought you were dying…we all did" he started to explain. I tucked a stray strand of hair behind my ear and kept quiet, letting him say what he wanted to say to me.

"The fever was high and you were crying blood. My father was about to send you to the ER because he didn't know what else to do; and that when you snapped out of it"

"I had a vision and I think that's what made me cry the blood" I replied.

"Huh?"

"I saw my mother dead and I saw myself lose control over this power I seem to have. She may have never been caring towards me; but she's still my mother"

I looked down at the ground, away from his gaze. "Maybe you'll get some answers today" he said and I looked up. He smiled at me and I felt a lot better. We continued on in the direction of the outskirts of the city. Somehow, both Renji and Ichigo made me feel like a person; despite the fact I was so different.


	6. Chapter 6

**Author Note: Thank you so much for the awesome reviews. Quite a few questions will be answered in this chapter. I hope you all enjoy the new chapter and as always please review.**

Chapter 6

**Katarina's POV**

Ahead of me was a small shop. From the outside, it looked to be two floors with two large doors in the front. The shingles were a pewter gray color with oak trim. Ichigo paused for a moment, slightly hesitating to keep going; but when I walked from behind him, I saw Renji standing outside with another man.

He was pretty tall for normal standards, probably six foot. He had messy blonde hair under a green and white stripped hair. His eyes were gray; but were pretty hidden under the edge of the hat. His clothes were pretty odd for this day-in-age; a black coat, which had a white diamond pattern along the bottom edge, with a dark green shirt and pants underneath.

"Welcome Ichigo. Who is your friend?" the man asked.

"Katarina Misora" he replied.

"I see, please come inside"

We followed the man inside his shop. Inside, was definitely different than I expected. There was candy everywhere; but we walked straight passed it and into a room with a round table. Renji and Ichigo took a seat fairly quickly, leaving me standing up alone.

"Please seat down" the man said holding his hand out pointing to a pillow next to Renji.

"Alright" I replied.

Sitting down, I shifted so I wasn't too close to him. "My name is Kisuke Urahara" he introduced. His smile was sincere and I wondered who he was exactly. Neither Renji nor Ichigo gave me any details about him, so I was going in blind.

"Okay Kisuke, what did you find out?" Ichigo asked getting to the point.

"Impatient as always I see" Kisuke replied.

"This isn't about me for once"

"Alright, I found some things out; but let me ask her a question"

I straightened and looked directly at him. Something told me I wasn't going to like most of things he was going to tell me; but maybe I was just being paranoid about it. "How much do you know about your parents?" he asked. I almost got defensive; but realized that with my sprouting abilities, I really didn't know anything.

"All I know is that my father is military and my mother is a lawyer" I replied.

"How long have you had these dream visions?"

"Since I was five"

I was beginning to get what he was trying to say. One of my parents really wasn't my birth parent or perhaps both of them weren't my birth parents. "Is one or is it both of them?" I asked suddenly. Kisuke looked at my with slightly larger eyes than before.

"Your mother died after you were born; but your father is definitely your biological father"

It was relieved to hear that. There was no way that a mother could treat their daughter the way she had treated me my entire life. I can't remember one time that she was ever nice to me. "I had a feeling that was the case" I replied.

"What about the change in her eye color?" Renji asked.

"That is the spiritual energy inside her doing that. Judging from what you told me, she has performed Hainawa without an incantation"

"Yeah, it was to protect herself from a hollow attack" Ichigo said.

Kisuke was quiet for a few minutes and it made me even more nervous. I didn't even realize that I had inched closer to Renji, until my knee grazed his. I jumped and scooted away, hiding the blush that was probably forming on my cheeks.

**Renji's POV**

When her knee grazed mine, a jolt flooded my body and I instantly looked her. Her cheeks were turning pink and I found it to be adorable. I had no idea when I found her to be attractive; but she was. She was nervous being close to me and I guess I felt the same way.

"Should I expect more of those abilities to pop up?" she asked.

"If one showed up, then I would guess more will" Kisuke replied.

Something just didn't add up with all of the information being presented. Was she born from a Kido Corps member or a Soul Reaper? "How is this possible? She's human isn't she?" Ichigo asked. Kisuke looked up from the table and the look in his eyes was a dead giveaway to the truth.

"Partially yes; but her mother was not human. She was a Soul Reaper and a member of the Kido Corps"

Katarina's expression changed once more and I felt a pull inside my chest that just begged me to comfort her. She remained calm; but her eyes told a completely different story. She was afraid and the way her hands trembled on her lap proved it. "Thank you for telling me all of this" she thanked.

"It was no problem at all" Kisuke replied.

"You're a Soul Reaper aren't you?" she asked.

He looked stunned for a moment, unable to believe she would notice the difference in his spiritual pressure compared to that of a human. She was beyond a fast learner. "Yes" he replied simply.

"I've been able to sense things for a while now and Ichigo told me that it's called spiritual pressure" she said standing up from the pillow she had been sitting on.

"Anything else you'd like to ask?"

"Not right now. This is more than enough information to take in"

"I understand. Feel free to stop by anytime"

"Thank you"

She walked away out of the room and I could hear the front doors open. I fought the urge to follow her; so instead, I turned to see what Ichigo's reaction was. His eyes hadn't left her retreating form and he was staring at the open door. "How do you explain the fever and her crying blood?" Ichigo asked.

"Side effects of a vision"

**Katarina's POV**

The warm air felt refreshing against my face. I knew Ichigo would get mad if I left here without telling him, so I sat down on the steps. Closing my eyes, I recalled the hollow that had attacked me the previous night. I wanted to learn to protect myself and not rely on Ichigo or Renji to bail me out of trouble.

It was pretty obvious that hollows were attracted to me; they seemed to show up when I'm around. I tried to remember exactly what I felt when the moment the kidō appeared. My hand started to tingle a little; but there wasn't any yellow energy. Frustrated, I let out a sigh.

"Kat" Orihime's voice said quietly.

Looking up from my hands, I saw the auburn haired girl from school. I remembered Renji mentioned something about Orihime and Chad. Did she have special abilities to? "Are you okay?" she asked. I was surprised by her sincerity. I figured she'd ask me what I was doing here; but instead she asked if I was okay?

"I don't know" I replied.

She took a few steps closer to me and sat down on the step next to me. Her slate gray eyes searched mine and I felt something was different about her than a normal human. "If you're looking for Ichigo, he's inside" I said again breaking the uncomfortable silence.

"Oh…thanks; but I actually came because I sensed…."she started to say.

"It's okay you can say that you sensed my spiritual pressure. I know about hollows, Soul Reapers, and such"

"Really? Well then, yes; I did come because I sensed your spiritual pressure"

"I was trying to repeat something that I did last night; but I failed miserably"

"It takes practice. It took me quite a while to figure out how to use my abilities properly"

I always thought she was pretty childish at school; but right now she was being serious; but it also had a calming effect on me.

**Ichigo's POV**

"It might be best if one of you convince her to let me or Tessai train her to control those abilities she has" Kisuke suggested.

"That might be hard to do. She's pretty stubborn" Renji replied.

"How would you know? You don't live with her" I countered.

I just set myself up for another argument with him; but to my surprise, he didn't say anything. He lifted his hand up to his mouth in a thinking position. His actions as of late seemed almost out of character for him. Was it because of Katarina? "Ichigo" Kisuke called.

"Yeah"

"Do you know why she was sent to your father?"

"She said something about her parents thinking it would be good for her and maybe get rid of her visions completely" I replied.

The badge inside my pocket started its loud obnoxious alarm indicating a hollow was nearby. I didn't hesitate in placing the small item against my chest forcing myself to change into a Soul Reaper. Renji swallowed a small green pill to pop free of his gigai. We both ran outside to see Orihime standing in front of Katarina with her Shun Shun Rikka shield.

The hollow was just your average kind; but even the average ones still had surprises if you weren't careful. Katarina stood firm in her place, not moving or cowering in fear like most would have. Her hands were clenched into fists at her sides. When I attempted to intervene, Kisuke grabbed my arm to stop me. "Wait" he stated.

"Why? They could get hurt" I yelled.

"This is the best chance for her to learn"

"Are you crazy?" Renji yelled.

**Katarina's POV**

I knew Ichigo and Renji were behind me; but for some reason they weren't helping. Orihime stood in front of me with her arms outstretched. A barrier prevented the hollow's first attack; but I just didn't know if it would for another one. The deep growl echoed as it lunged at me again; but once again Orihime stepped in front of me, shielding me. "Orihime…" I whispered.

"Don't worry, I'll protect you"

Her words struck something inside me. I didn't want to be a burden to anyone. I wanted to be able to take care of myself. This hollow wanted me, not her. I could feel tingles in my right hand again. Searching inside, I found the right moment to push the energy out. A spark of electricity emerged from my finger tip.

"Orihime move!" Ichigo yelled.

The energy was concentrated and it became a large bolt of lightning. Orihime rolled out of the way as the energy flew passed her towards the hollow. I hoped that it would be enough to destroy it without anyone's help. The lightning bolt struck the hollow in the center of its head, causing an explosion. I shielded my eyes from the blast; but found myself being thrown back.

I hit something hard; but when I turn around, I saw Renji had stopped me from hitting anything dangerous. An agonizing bellow erupted from its mouth before disintegrating into nothing. "That was Byakurai" he said softly. My abilities apparently weren't just defensive, they were offensive as well.

"Are you okay?" Renji asked.

"Yeah I think so. Thanks for catching me"

His hand tightened around my shoulder protectively and I smiled at him, realizing that I enjoyed being protected by him. Orihime and Ichigo approached us. "Thank you Orihime" I said and her smile brightened her face.

"You're welcome, Kat" she replied.

I turned towards the shop and saw Kisuke still standing outside. Pulling out of Renji's protective embrace, I walked towards him. I knew that I needed to learn to use these powers effectively and without hesitation. "I need to learn to use these properly. I don't want to be a burden to anyone; so please, will you help teach me?" I asked pleadingly.

"Sure"

"Thank you"

"Come here after school tomorrow and we will start"

I nodded and returned to my friends. I froze at the word. I've never had a friend and for some reason I felt like I could call all of them my friends. Each one had a smile upon their face and then I knew it was true, they were my friends. "Kat, are you going to the fall festival dance next weekend?" Orihime asked.

"Uh…I don't know, perhaps" I replied.

"What about you Ichigo?"

"Probably, since my father will be there"

Orihime linked her arm with mine and pulled me closer. "Come on, we can go shopping for a dress if you don't have one" she suggested. Dances weren't really my thing, even in America; but how could I turn her down. Ichigo looked at me, waiting to see what I'd say. I knew Renji was watching me as well; maybe I could get him to go to.

"Sure, I'll go" I replied.

"Great, we should go today. We don't want all the dresses to get picked over"

"Let me get some money from my bag at home and I'll meet you there"

She agreed to that. I was grateful that I had money that my father sent with me; otherwise, I didn't know what I would have done. Once we got back home, Ichigo walked inside leaving me alone with Renji outside. "Thanks again" I said.

"You don't have to thank me for anything, Rina"

"You know, you are the first person to ever call me that"

"I'll stop calling you that, if you don't like it"

I took a step closer to him, shaking my head. "No, I love it actually" I answered honestly. I didn't realize what I was doing; but I guessed this was flirting. His smile took my breath away, just like his eyes.

"Are you coming inside, Katarina?" Ichigo asked from the doorway.

"Yeah, I'm coming! I'll see you later, okay"

"Yeah" Renji replied.

I turned to run into the house, passing Ichigo as he closed the door. Isshin walked into the kitchen and saw my happy smile. "I see you are in a good mood. What's the occasion? Did Ichigo ask you on a date?" he asked.

I laughed a little "No, I'm going shopping with Orihime" I replied. His expression lightened even more. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. He handed me some money and it stunned me.

"Wait! Dad, you never give me any money" Ichigo protested.

"Well, she's the guest"

"Oh come on, Ichigo it's not like you'd want to go shopping with a bunch of girls"

I winked at him and then went upstairs to grab my bag. "Katarina!" he yelled in an irritated voice. Giggling, I felt more alive than ever had in the past sixteen years of my life.

**XxXx Well I hope the characters didn't seem to OOC and I thought a dance would be a nice touch since they are high school students after all. Don't hesitate to voice your opinions to this chapter.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Author Note: I apologize for the long update. I lost internet for a while and had no other means of posting anything. Today was the day I got it fixed and here is the newest chapter. I hope everyone enjoys it. Please review.**

Chapter 7

**Katarina's POV**

Walking with Orihime made me feel slightly normal. I learned that she lived alone and loved to cook despite that her tastes in food made me sick to my stomach. "So how are you settling in here?" she asked. I looked up from the ground I was staring at.

"Okay for the most part. I didn't expect to be sprouting new abilities every time I started a new day though" I replied.

"None of us expected to wake up one day and have these abilities; but they are a part of what made us who we are"

Her words surprised me. I never thought she'd be one to give me advice; but it made me think about how I was acting about these abilities. "You're right" I said with a smile. I acted childish and whined about having them. All I did was ask for pity and that wasn't me.

"Come on, let's go in this store"

"Alright"

Inside, were hundreds of pretty dresses. Living in New York all my life, I was used to seeing a lot of dresses inside a store; but these were absolutely stunning. I was drawn to a strapless lime green one right off the bat. It was fairly simple with a sequence lining along the chest line and a slit up the side.

The moment my hand touched the material, I knew this was one that I wanted to buy. "It's so pretty" Orihime said over my shoulder. I searched the rack for my size and pulled out the last one. Looking at the price tag, I frowned in disappointment. The dress would take up all the money I had with me, there wouldn't be shoe purchasing today if I bought it.

"That dress would probably make Renji come out of his shell" Orihime commented.

I almost swallowed the gum I was chewing upon hearing her comment. "Why would you say that?" I asked stuttering over my words. Thinking about me my heart race and it was a feeling that I just wasn't used to feeling.

She giggled childishly. I could already tell my cheeks were burning with an evident blush. "It's alright Katarina. I don't think anyone else had noticed his odd behavior today when it came to you" she replied. Shifting my gaze away from her, I caught sight of another dress. This one was also strapless; maroon colored with black velvet roses along the bottom hem and a slit up the side.

"Wow…" I said almost speechless.

"I like this one better than the green one" Orihime stated.

Putting the other one back, I walked over to the new one. The price on it was more in my range and it was even more beautiful. I was lucky there was one in my size. Without a hesitation, I bought the dress and held it close while helping Orihime.

The shopping trip was longer than I had expected it to be; but I felt accomplished. "Do you want to come over before going back home?" Orihime asked. Not really meaning to, I ignored her question; because I felt something was off about the street we were walking on.

"Kat" Orihime said snapping her fingers in front of my face.

"Oh sorry" I replied jumping a little.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah fine; but uh, I'm kind of tired and I think I'm just going to go home"

"Okay, no big deal. See you in school"

She waved and continued in the direction of her apartment, leaving me alone. The feeling of someone watching me was overwhelming and I immediately started in a sprint towards home. "What are you in such a hurry for?" a voice asked from behind me.

I stopped running and turned around only to see Renji standing there in human clothes. His crimson hair was still pulled up into a high ponytail with a white headband over his forehead, covering his tattoos; but instead of his usual black shihakushō, he wore jeans and a white t-shirt. The shirt made his toned body that much more noticeable. I couldn't help but stare at the view.

A grin formed on his face, noticing my staring at him. Unable to find words in my mouth, I stepped back away from him. "Are you okay, Rina? You look like you saw a ghost or something?" he asked with an ironic choice of words.

"Yeah, I just felt like someone was following me" I replied.

That alerted him right away. He took my arm into his hand and started to pull me along. "I'm taking you home" he stated in a much more serious voice that only worried me more. It made me wonder if he knew something about me that I didn't.

"Renji…" I whispered.

"Why the hell are you out here alone anyway?" he asked.

"Orihime went home. We live in opposite directions"

He looked down at the large black plastic bag draped over my left arm. He curiously stared at it as we walked. "Is that what humans call a dress?" he asked. I blinked a couple time trying to believe that he didn't know what a dress was.

"Inside of this this bag is a dress, yes" I replied.

"Oh I see"

A few minutes later, I stood in front of Ichigo's house. His bedroom light was on; but he didn't seem to be in the room. I still had the feeling that someone was watching me and it was driving me crazy. "Thanks for walking me home, Renji" I said softly.

"Katarina" Ichigo said from the doorway.

"Ichigo…"

Renji looked like he had wanted to say something before Ichigo's interruption. I took a step inside and sat my bagged dress on the kitchen table. The sudden feeling of spiritual pressure surprised me and it made me freeze completely.

"Stay here Kat" Ichigo ordered.

"But…" I protested.

"No buts! You stay put" Renji ordered.

The concern for my safety was painfully evident in their voices. In one short week, I've befriended them, even developed slight feelings for both of them. How could I not? Both have shown me kindness and have saved me on more than one occasion. "Be careful" I replied.

"Don't worry, we'll be fine" Renji stated.

They ran up the stairs to Ichigo's room to hide their bodies and I watched the fly out the window. Looking down at my hands, I wished that I could use my abilities at will. I felt worthless. What good were those powers, if I couldn't use them when I wanted to?

"I can't just sit here" I told myself.

**Renji's POV**

"Roar, Zabimaru" I called releasing my shikai.

The snake-like blade extended outward and caught the hollow's left side. The wound quickly healed and we had to start all over again. This hollow's ability to instantly regenerate was annoying. Ichigo leapt up into the air and swung down, towards the head.

"Where is the girl, Soul Reaper?" the hollow asked.

Ichigo froze mid-swing. He, like me was curious about what the hollow was talking about. Deep down, I had a feeling Sosuke Aizen was behind this; but what would he want with her. "What girl?" Ichigo asked playing stupid, attempting to get information out of him.

"Don't play dumb. The girl that lives with you"

My fear was justified now. This hollow wanted Katarina and probably was the one that had been following her today. There wasn't any reason I could think of as to why he wanted her. I gripped the hilt of Zabimaru tighter. "Renji" Ichigo whispered.

"Yeah"

"Can you use kidō to restrain him so I can cut him right in half?"

"I can try. I've never been that good at it though"

Kido had never been strong suit. Back in the academy, spells used to blow up on me or other classmates. I held my hand out, curling my ring finger, pinky finger, and thumb inward along my palm.

"Bakudō one, Sai" I yelled.

The energy restrained the hollow. He struggled against the invisible confinement. "Now, Ichigo" I yelled. He didn't hesitate in leaping up with his blade pointing downward. I noticed something was different about his spiritual pressure.

"Insolent pests" the hollow grumbled.

His spiritual pressure started to grow and my Bakudō spell was broken. He dodged Ichigo's attack at the last moment. "Damnit" he cursed as he landed back onto the ground next to me. I was beyond annoyed now.

"Hey, I heard you were looking for me" Katarina's voice yelled.

The hollow turned to look at her and so did we. She stood with her right hand on her hip. Her hair was in her eyes and the look in them was that of determination. He licked his lips and extended his clawed hand out to her. "Oh, so you are the half-breed. Come with me, girl" he said.

"Like hell I will" she snapped.

I grinned a little at her remark; but she was completely out of her league here. This hollow could and would rip her to shreds if the opportunity presented itself. "I'm not giving you a choice, you are coming with me"

I knew that we needed to get her away from her. The fear for her safety was becoming the biggest priority to me in this situation and I had no idea when that started to happen. I've only known her a week.

**Katarina's POV**

I grinned of the hollows demands. There was no way in hell that I was going with him. The tingles of energy were starting to form in my hand and I knew that I had found the trigger to use them on will. Staring at the beast in front of me, the crackling yellow energy appeared around my hand. "Hainawa" I whispered.

I threw the energy at the hollow and it entangled itself around his arms and body. "What the hell?" he cursed, struggling against the yellow rope of energy. Ichigo and Renji looked on, dumbfounded that I was able to perform the spell without my life being in direct danger.

"Release me now, wench" the hollow demanded.

"I don't think so" I replied.

I looked at the two Soul Reapers before me and smiled. "Now is your chance" I said tightening the rope around the heartless beast. Ichigo leapt up without hesitation and slashed down through the center of the head. My spell shattered and I shook my hand a little to get rid of the tingles that remained.

"What the hell were you thinking?" Ichigo yelled lifting his sword onto his shoulder.

"Saving your ass" I replied.

"Psh"

"Rina, he's right. What were you thinking coming out here when we told you to stay home?"

I couldn't say anything; because honestly I didn't really have a reason that I could come right out and say. I came because I didn't want to see them get hurt. "I couldn't just stay put and wait. What if, one of you got hurt and it was because you were protecting me?" I replied. To be honest, I don't think I could have handled seeing one of them hurt because of me.

"It's our job, Katarina. Hollow come and the Soul Reapers job to protect innocent souls from them" Renji stated.

"That one was targeting me, so it would have been my fault if one of you got hurt"

"That's the risk we were willing to take" Ichigo said.

He took a step closer to me and placed his free hand on my cheek. "Next time, just listen" he said before walking away. Renji followed after and I brought up the rear. How did this happen? How did I come to care about them so much?

**Renji's POV**

Knowing she was walking behind me, made me realize just how easily she could have lost her life tonight. The thought made my heart ache. The desire to protect her was overwhelming and I could tell Ichigo felt the same way about it.

She seemed in complete control of the Bakudō spell. All she did was call out the name and the spell was executed perfectly. Sneaking a quick glance at her, I noticed that she looked sad. I wondered what she was thinking about and if I asked, would she share her thoughts with me.

All these feelings weren't new to me; but they were only new because it was a different woman. All my previous feelings were for Rukia, my childhood friend; but lately I've been finding myself thinking about Katarina more often than I should. She was after all, a living soul; but everything about her seemed to bring out the positive things about me out.

Ichigo never bothered to look back at her; but I knew that he felt the same way about her as I did. I noticed the same behavior changes and the overprotective nature of when her life was at risk.

When we arrived back at Ichigo's house, I returned to my gigai and turned to see her standing in the doorway. "Goodnight guys" she said and turned away without a second glance. If I was completely honest with myself, I wanted to pull her back and hold onto her for a few moments and looking at Ichigo's pained face, he felt the same way.

**XxXx Well there is the new chapter. The next one will be the some training with Kisuke and The Autumn Festival. Review with your thoughts. XxXx**


	8. Chapter 8

**Author Note**

**Thank you for the awesome reviews. This story has been quite the challenge for me and I'm glad to see that you like it.**

_**RenRuki fan**_**: I hope to explain a little of what Renji's feelings for Rukia are currently.**

**Sadly the Festival won't appear in this chapter. I made some changes to my original plan and hopefully for the better. As of right now, I have 2 readers who would like to see her with Renji and 1 reader who would like to see her with Ichigo; so please feel free to leave your opinion on who you would like to see her with. **

Chapter 8

**Renji's POV**

Watching her close the door across the hall, it brought back memories with Rukia. Before we had become Soul Reapers and living in the Rukon District, she had been my best friend. We had been so close, almost like family. During our time in the academy, my Captain adopted her into his noble family and I never stopped her; no matter how much I had wanted to.

"Later Ichigo" I said quickly and climbed out the window slowly, remembering that I was in gigai.

I took the long back to Kisuke's shop and thought about the past. Rukia was in every thought. She was such a big part of my life back then and even now, she still was. After Ichigo and I successfully rescued her from being executed several months ago, she had seemed to distance herself.

She spoke to no one unless they spoke to her first. I tried to get through to her and I even found the courage to admit my feelings for her that I held inside for over forty years. All she did was smile and replied to me that she already knew.

Even though she wasn't responsive to my confession, it didn't stop me from loving her. During the incident with the Bounts, I had been sent to the World of the Living to look over the town; but I just didn't want to leave Rukia after being parted from her for over forty years.

Orders were orders and I did what I was told. She was on my mind the entire time and even during the time she was sent to be reinforcements during the incident. Every time I closed my eyes, an image of Rukia was there behind the lids of my eyes until I met Katarina; but despite meeting her, Rukia still popped into my mind. Her violets eyes were amazing and I've often found myself lost in them. Katarina's pure blue eyes were alluring and she just drew me in. I really didn't know why she did.

The feeling of Rukia's lips pressed onto mine was something I've wanted for over forty years and in all that time, I've never once tried to. I was always afraid of ruining our friendship and now, I always wonder what her feelings for Ichigo are. In the short time that I've known Katarina, her personality has really pulled me in. Her beauty was pure and I have thought about kissing her full lips on more than one occasion. I honestly didn't think I've ever thought this much about something; but it was shattered when I felt Katarina's spiritual pressure spike.

**Katarina's POV**

_Knowing that I was inside my dreams was unnerving. I didn't want to have a vision; but my body refused to obey and do what I wanted. Inside my head, I could see the Autumn Festival Dance and the hundreds of people there. The feelings inside my heart were bursting and the image of myself in the dress I had bought was stunning, even for me. It didn't really look like me at all._

"_Kat!" Orihime squealed._

_ Looking at her, there was no comparison as to who was the prettier one; it was her. Her slate gray eyes held so much warmth behind them and I watched myself relax in her presence. "You're so pretty" she commented._

"_Thank you" I replied._

_ The moment I saw Ichigo, I froze. I could see my heartbeat had increased. The skin on my chest was twitching slightly as my heart pounded against the flesh. He was wearing black pants and a white button-up shirt. His toned body was clearly noticeable through his shirt and it practically took my breath away._

_ Within moments, the vision shifted and I could see flashes of me dancing with Ichigo, seeing Renji's stunned expression and hurt eyes, and a girl I didn't recognize; but knew both Ichigo and Renji. It shifted again to an image of me crying. Seeing myself cry was unsetting and it confused me, because I didn't see the reason why._

I shot up in bed and stopped myself from crying. Running a hand through my hair, I looked around the room and saw Renji sitting on the windowsill of the open window. "Renji…" I whispered getting out of bed.

"Are you alight?" he asked.

"Yeah, just a vision" I replied.

I was careful not to disturb Karin and Yuzu while I climbed out the window. Renji pulled me up onto the roof and we sat down looking up at the sky. The stars were amazingly bright and beautiful. "What was the vision about this time?" he asked.

I didn't know what to tell him. The vision was about the dance and he was a part of it. "Nothing worth mentioning; it's kind of personal" I finally replied. He didn't say anything in response to that and another question popped into my mind randomly. Who was this Rukia that they talked about?

"Renji"

"Hmm"

"Who is Rukia?"

I heard him suck in a gasp of air. Apparently, I caught him off guard with the question. His eyes held a look of longing in them. Did he care for this woman? Ichigo kind of had the same look in his eyes when her name was mentioned. Did they care for the same girl?

"Ichigo told you about the Soul Reaper that gave him his powers"

"Yeah"

"That's her. Rukia Kuchiki, the adoptive sister of my Captain"

"Is that how you know her?"

"No, Rukia and I grew up in the Rukon District together"

I didn't know what the Rukon District was; but I knew enough to know that they were childhood friends and most likely cared for each other on a romantic level. That's usually how things turned out. "Why ask about her? Was she in your vision?" he asked.

"I don't know what she looks like, so I don't know if I've ever seen her in one"

"You'll meet her someday"

"How? She's a Soul Reaper isn't she?"

He laughed a little at my statement; but it wasn't really a funny laugh, it was more of an ironic one. "Silly girl, she never stays away long. Ichigo and he have a close bond" he replied. The way he said it, made it seem like he was slightly jealous of their bond and it only confirmed my questions from before. Both Ichigo and Renji cared about Rukia on a romantic level.

I couldn't deny that the realization hurt; but I had to just get over it and concentrate on my own problems. I still had my kidnapping vision and my step-mother's murder vision to handle. I had no idea when they would occur and the best logical answer to solving my step-mom's murder was to just go back to New York; but there was no way I could do that without learning to control my abilities.

"Are you sure that you're alright?" he asked.

"Yeah…" I replied standing up and turning to climb down the window.

He grabbed my wrist and pulled me back towards him. The burning tears were already rolling down my cheeks before I could stop them. I felt stupid for crying over something that hasn't even happened yet; but I was cursed to know things before everyone else.

"Rina…" he said softly.

I was too close to him, almost in his arms. His scent waved under my nose and I almost caved in to wrapping my arms around him. His hand was still around my wrist; but his other hand had found my cheek. "Why are you crying?" he asked.

"It's nothing to be concerned about" I replied.

"I find that hard to believe. No one cries without a reason"

"Look, it's nothing you need to know about; so please let go of my arm"

I didn't mean to be harsh with my words; but it was something I had to deal with alone. I couldn't rely on Ichigo and him all the time to bail me out of trouble; I needed to be able to protect myself and my family, despite the fact they hated me. Renji let go of my wrist; but kept his hand on my cheek and brushed his callused thumb along my lips.

The small gesture made the dam behind my eyes tear open. Tears rolled down my cheek uncontrollably and he simply lifted me onto his lap and held onto me. I buried my face into his chest and his hand moved circles around my back, calming me down. Without any effort at all, he lifted me up and carried me into my bedroom. He laid me down gently on my bed and turned around to leave.

"Thank you…" I whispered before he left me alone to fall asleep.

The next morning, I awoke earlier than usual and I got dressed in a pair of black jogging shorts and a pink muscle tank top. I didn't plan on going to school; all I wanted to do was learn to use my abilities. Yuzu shifted in her sleep and I froze mid-step hoping that she wouldn't wake up.

Finding a piece of paper, I wrote down a note to the family for my soon to be extended absence. Ichigo wouldn't buy the blatant lie I was writing; but that was perfectly okay, he didn't need to believe it. I laid the paper in the center of the kitchen table and walked out the door.

Walking gave me time to think about what I really wanted to do about my step-mom's murder. She may have been a terrible mother to me; but she was still a human being and my father loved her, which was enough of a reason for me to want to protect her.

Kisuke was standing outside the shop when I turned to corner. "I suppose you sensed me coming" I stated with an arm on my hip. A grin formed on his stubble face.

"So why come now? Aren't you supposed to be in school?" he asked.

"There is something I have to do. School can wait."

He lifted his head up and I could see the shadow of his eyes from under the rim of his hat. "What would that be?" he asked. I stepped closer cautiously, trying to not alert anyone to my presence.

"I had two visions that have been bothering me and I must get stronger to prevent them from happening"

"Hmm, I see; well then teaching you to master kidō in this form isn't going to cut it. I'm aware of the hollow that targeted you last night"

It didn't surprise me that he knew. Ichigo or Renji most likely mentioned it to him. He probably thought more would come after me if the one did. I followed him inside and into an underground room. "Amazing…" I whispered in awe.

"It gets the same reaction every time someone sees it"

"This is where I'll be learning these kidō abilities?"

Kisuke looked at me without his usual goofy expression for once. It was all serious; which was good, at least I knew he wasn't playing with me. "I'm not so sure it's a good idea to learn them while you are in human form"

"What does that mean?"

"The body breaks down under the strain. Kido is meant to be used by Soul Reapers"

Did he intend to turn me into a Soul Reaper? I was confused at his words. "What do you intend to do?" I asked quietly. Another grin appeared on his face, giving him a sly feature and that's when I knew my suspicions were correct.

"I intent to help you gain Soul Reaper powers" he answered.

"I'll be like Ichigo then, a substitute Soul Reaper?"

"Yes"

My hand instinctively clenched into fists at my sides, attempting to prepare myself for whatever he had to do to make me stronger. I nodded my head in agreement and within in seconds, he tapped my forehead with the bottom of his cane. When I stood up, I was a soul looking at me body lying face first in the dirt.

**Ichigo's POV**

I awoke to a house without Katarina. My father was acting like she had died and Yuzu sobbed softly while cooking breakfast. Karin handed me the note from the table and I read its contents quickly.

_**Kurosaki Family,**_

_** I'll be staying with a friend for a little while. There are some personal things that I need to handle and I don't want to be a burden to any of you with my problems. Don't worry, I'll be just fine.**_

_**Katarina**_

I wanted to crumple the paper in my hand and go after her; but I didn't want to cause a scene with my family. There was only one place she'd go and that was to Kisuke's shop. She must have wanted to start her training early or there was something she was hiding and wanted to deal with alone.

In school, Orihime asked about her and all I could say was that I was pretty sure that she was at Kisuke's. The entire day I had an uneasy feeling about what was going on. This was the first day since she arrived that I hadn't seen her and I didn't like it at all.

"Ichigo, are you sure she's okay?" Orihime asked.

"I'm sure she's fine" I replied.

Deep down something felt uneasy and I knew that I was going to check on her. Once I got out of school, I walked to the little candy shop across town. No one was actually inside the shop; but the floor door to the underground training room was open.

Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out my combat pass and pressed it to my chest. I freed myself from my body. As a Soul Reaper, I leapt down to the ground below. "Welcome Ichigo" Kisuke greeted. Turning to look at him, I saw Katarina's body lying on the ground and next to it was Katarina in soul form.

My stomach dropped and I didn't understand what was going on. Her soul chain was broken and the encroachment had begun. The memories of my own transition was starting to flash inside my head. "Why would you do that to her?" I asked unable to tear my eyes away from the sight.

"He had to. It was the only way that I could fully learn my abilities" she replied in a breathless voice.

She was exhausted and her eyes quivered under the pressure of it. Kisuke was watching silently, waiting for the encroachment to stop and if she'd turn into a hollow or not. I couldn't believe that I was seeing this. This was not what I had in mind for training.

Katarina fell to her knees and screamed in agony as the last chain link was being eaten away. A swirl of wind surrounded her and I knew that I couldn't reach her while inside the barrier Tessai erected around her.

"I can't believe you put her through this" I snapped.

"There was no other way. Her body would eventually give out if she stayed in human form"

I couldn't form anymore words and all I could do was have faith in her. "What the hell in going on down here?" Renji's voice boomed from the entrance of the grounds. His anger was obvious on his face and it made me wonder if he cared about Katarina on a more than friend basis.

"She's trying to gain Soul Reaper powers" I stated.

"What!" he shouted.

He appeared next to me and grabbed the collar of my shihakushō. "What the hell would you do that to her?" he asked through clenched teeth. I knew exactly how he felt. She was going to be segregated by the other Soul Reapers, just like I was and still am. Kisuke placed his hand on his shoulder.

"He didn't do anything. I made the decision and she agreed" he explained.

"She…agreed…."

Something in Renji's expression made me think he just realized something about her reasoning behind her wanted to put herself through this. "She was really upset last night and said that she had a vision" Renji admitted. Would a vision really have pushed her to these lengths and that's when I remembered her telling me about a vision of her step-mother's murder.

"She's doing it to protect the people she cares about" I whispered.

She was more like me than I first thought and that made me like her more. Renji and I watched her closely, waiting for her to conquer the test and become a Soul Reaper.

**XxXx Well I hope I didn't disappoint anyone with this new chapter and new changes. Let me know what you think XxXx **


	9. Chapter 9

**Author Note: Wow, a lot of you want her to be with Ichigo. Well the decision hasn't been set in stone yet, so please make your opinions known. There will still be interaction with both men for a little while yet. I appreciate all the reviews, followers, and favorite adds; they mean a lot to me. Here is the new chapter and I hope everyone like. Please review! **

Chapter 9

**Katarina's POV**

_When I opened my eyes, I knew instantly I wasn't in Kisuke's training ground anymore. The world I was in was unlike anything I had ever seen before. The ground beneath me was solid ice and the mountains the surrounded the lush pine forest were covered in powder white snow. The color white stretched out as far as my eyes could see. The icicles hung on the pine branches in a beautiful reflection._

"_Where am I?" I asked myself._

"_This is your inner world or rather my world" a feminine voice echoed._

_ I turned my head several times trying to find the source of the voice; but all I could see was snow and ice. "Who said that?" I asked again being annoyed with the lack of life in this place._

"_I did"_

_ I looked down to see a white fox with crystal blue eyes. It sat down and cocked its head to the side watching me. __**"Surly this fox wasn't the source of the voice I heard a moment ago"**__ I mentally thought. _

"_You're a fox, how are you talking" I asked completely dumbfounded._

"_Oh please, you've fought against hollows and you're surprised that I can talk"_

_ It confirmed who had spoken to me. I looked at the creature curiously and that's when the answer hit me. Kisuke had told me that I would probably see a different world when I awoke. It was a test to deem me worthy of the powers of a Soul Reaper._

"_What is your reason for wanting power?" she asked._

"_I want power to protect everyone, not just the people close to me" I replied._

_ I didn't want to be a burden to my friends. I refused to let my visions come true, even if that meant dying myself. I pushed back the tears I felt stinging the corners of my eyes and remained focused on the task before me, and that was not becoming a hollow._

_ The fox stood on her hind legs and her body began to glow white, transforming into the form of a human. When the glow finally faded, the fox was now a woman clad in a blue and white kimono. Her eyes were still the crystal blue; but instead of white, her hair was the darkest shade of ebony. She was beyond beautiful and it made me feel inferior._

"_I want to see your resolve" she stated._

_ I didn't know how she planned to do that; but I was prepared for whatever she wanted to do. She took a step closer to me and her fingers traced a line down my neck and stopped right above my heart. "You have strong will, young one" she commented._

_ She really didn't have any idea how strong my will really was. I'd do anything to protect someone, even give my life up. My life never really had any real meaning, so protecting someone who had a bright future was an ideal way to go in my opinion. _

_ As if she read my thoughts, she smiled. Her fingers moved once more and rested on the center of my forehead. She closed her eyes and I could feel the hum of her energy caressing my skin. I had no idea what she was doing. __**"Is she reading my mind?"**__ I thought. She was gentle and I never felt such serenity in my life; but her presence just seemed to make me feel at ease._

**Ichigo's POV**

Waiting was the hardest part in this whole thing. Renji was sitting on a large rock behind me with his one knee up against his chin. I never noticed how much he seemed to care about her until today. I kept watching, waiting for her to emerge from the swirling wind tunnel; but two hours have already passed and still nothing. Dread was starting to wiggle its way into my heart and it wouldn't go away.

"Relax Ichigo, she's just fine" Kisuke suddenly said.

"How do you know that? You can't sense anything when you're in your inner world" I replied.

"Just have faith in her"

I sat down on the ground and thought about everything that has happened over the last week. At first, I was annoyed with the fact that my father took someone in. Our house was small enough and adding another girl to the mix was just plan annoying; but the more I got to know her, the more I wanted to be around her.

Rukia still popped into my head on occasion as well and I simply didn't know what I felt for either one of them at this point. I was drawn to Katarina like a moth to a flame; but I didn't want to get burned in the end. She cared about Renji, that much was obvious; but did she care for me as well? That was the question I wanted answered.

"What the hell are you thinking about over there?" Renji asked snapping me out of my mental thoughts.

"None of your business" I replied not really in the mood to discuss my feelings with him.

"You're thinking about Katarina aren't you?"

I said nothing. I didn't want him to know about my growing affections for her. The swirl of wind only seemed to get faster and it worried me even more. The fear of her becoming a hollow was very real to me now.

**Renji's POV**

Ichigo refused to say another word on the subject; but I knew that he was thinking about her. I shifted my gaze away from him and returned it to the swirling wind cyclone that held Katarina inside. Five rays of light escaped the twisting funnel of dirt. Her spiritual pressure was unmistakable now and a smile crept to my lips.

"Rina" I whispered to myself in relief.

The rays of light shattered the cyclone and she stood on the ground perfectly intact; but there was definitely a difference in her. The spiritual pressure I sensed from her was much stronger than it previous was, which meant that she had succeeded in obtaining Soul Reaper powers. In her right hand was an unreleased zanpakuto. The hilt was white with black diamonds engraved on the steel.

She finally opened her eyes to meet ours and her smile was almost immediate. In some ways I was proud to know that she had the ability to become a Soul Reaper; but in others I dreaded it, simply because of what the others would say about her when they knew. I haven't exactly been reporting anything about her to the Soul Society.

"Well done Katarina" Kisuke praised.

"I feel a lot different" she replied.

"That's normal. This is completely new to you; but I will help you learn as much as I can with the time given"

Again, Katarina smiled and for some reason I thought Ichigo would be happier about her success; but then again he knew what it was like to be a Substitute Soul Reaper. The treatment was way different, I knew that; but I had to think of the positive things about this transition versus the negative.

**Katarina's POV**

I learned a lot over the next few days from Kisuke. My zanpakuto was actually a part of my own soul and had its own personality that mirrored my own to some extent. I never got to know her name during my initial transition to a Soul Reaper; but after a few days of training within my inner-world, I learned her name; and what a beautiful name it was to.

Today was the first day in practice of kidō and I felt nervous for some reason. After all this was in my blood. Kisuke stood before me with his zanpakuto in hand. "You have already performed Hainawa without an incantation or a number, the energy you used to form that is the foundation to all kidō spells. You just have to configure them correctly or they could easily blow up on you" he explained.

"Okay…"

"Take Byakurai for example…its energy is slightly different because it's an offensive spell, not a defensive one; but you have performed both types. Do you remember the difference in energy?"

I thought about his question for a moment, trying to remember when I actually used the spell. It was definitely different and I formed Byakurai around my index finger. Kisuke gave me a sly smile. "Very good, now I'm going to give a book on kidō. This book is actually the book they use in the Soul Reaper academy back in the Soul Society, so it should help"

"Thank you Kisuke. I can't tell you how much this means to me" I said.

"Well there is still a lot you don't know, thank me when it's all finished"

"Deal"

Ichigo and Renji have been somewhat distant with me ever since I gained the powers of a Soul Reaper. The feeling of emptiness was starting to become too much for me. Kisuke was the only one I could talk to at this point and he just wasn't enough. I started to walk back to Ichigo's house in attempts to rekindle my relationship with the twins and Isshin.

"I really miss them" I told myself.

The house came into view and the sun was starting to set behind the trees. Taking a deep breath, I knocked on the front door. Yuzu opened the door after only waiting a few seconds; it was almost like she was waiting beside it. A large smile appeared on her childish face and she flung her arms around me tightly.

"Oh Kat, I missed you so much" she cried.

"I missed you to Yuzu" I replied touching the top of her head.

"What's going on out here?" Karin's voiced came from around the corner of the kitchen.

"Hello Karin" I said.

"Kat…"

She smiled and waved at me. It pleased me to know that they still cared about me and hadn't forgotten about me. Yuzu pulled me into the house and closed the door behind me. The smell of dinner cooking made my stomach start to growl in hunger. The gurgling sound made me blush in embarrassment.

"Dinner will be ready in ten minutes, go get cleaned up" she stated all motherly.

"Alright"

I walked up the narrow staircase and walked into the room I had slept in. It felt weird being in this room after being gone for a week; but everything was still there. I opened the closet for a clean set of clothes and saw the dress I had bought for the Autumn Festival Dance hanging up. My hand reached out to touch the fabric and the feeling sent a slight shiver down my spine.

"Katarina" Ichigo's voice sounded from the doorway.

"Ichigo" I replied moving my head out of the closet.

He didn't say anything for a few moments; but he really didn't need to. I could see his sense relief in his soft brown eyes. My guess that they were all worried about me and Ichigo took the short end of the stick when it came to their concerns. "Dinner is ready" he stated and walked out of the room without saying another word.

Dinner was spent with me answering all of Yuzu, Karin, and Isshin's questions on what I had been doing for the week I was gone. I didn't really know what to tell them; but I came up with believable answers to their questions. After dinner, I helped Yuzu with the dishes and then stepped outside for some fresh air.

"Katarina" a female voice came from the corner.

"Orihime" I replied.

"How is everything going? Ichigo told me what was going on"

"I'm doing fine. I've learned a lot"

"Are you still coming to the dance tomorrow?"

I had completely forgotten about the dance. It would be a waste of money if I didn't show up, since I did buy that dress; but the nagging feeling of uncertainty was clawing its way into my mind. "Of course, I'll be there" I stated with a smile hiding my own fear.

"Great"

She continued on her way and I wondered where exactly she was going at this time of night. I sensed Ichigo behind me and I quickly turned to look at him. His expression made me hold my breath for a moment. "Ichigo, what's wrong?" I asked.

"Nothing, my dad sent me out to get you" he replied.

"Oh okay"

I walked passed him and stepped inside the house again. My arm brushed against his as I passed, sending a slight spark of electricity through my arm. The hum on my skin made want another touch; but I just kept walking knowing he would never say or do anything.

The next day was the Autumn Festival Dance and I was sitting in the room I shared with the twins. The dress was laid across my bed as I sat on the edge with Yuzu behind me. She was trying to figure out a way to do my hair. The feeling of her fingers combing through my lengths was soothing and I closed my eyes and let her work. After what seemed like hours, her touched was gone.

"All done" she stated.

I opened my eyes and stood up to look in the mirror. I was amazed by what reflected back at me. Half of my hair was pulled up and clipped in the back along with several ribbons of maroon cascading down from the clip. The hair that was left down was curled in ringlets down my shoulders. I turned to thank her; but she held her hand up and held my dress out to me.

After another twenty minutes, I was finally dressed and walking out the door. Ichigo had already gone ahead with Isshin, not wanting to wait around for me. I was slightly disappointed by that; but it wasn't like I wasn't going to see him at all.

Another face that I wanted to see hasn't been around at all. Since I came back to the Kurosaki household, Renji hasn't visited at all. I wondered if he was avoiding me like Ichigo was or was it just inside my head.

"You look beautiful" Yuzu commented from the doorway.

"Thank you"

Orihime and Tatsuki were waiting outside for me. They waved cheerfully and I instantly walked in their direction. "Wow that dress compliments you perfectly, Kat" Tatsuki complimented. Her words made me blush a little; but to be honest, in my opinion it really didn't hold a candle to Orihime.

She wore a slim fitted ocean blue dress with thin straps across her shoulders. The color brought out the color of her eyes. Her auburn hair was pulled in a simple twist braid with white lily-of-the- valley followers entwined the twists.

"Let's go" Orihime said.

"Lead the way" Tatsuki replied.

I followed them closely and when we got to the school, there were so many people there that I suddenly felt claustrophobic. Orihime pulled me through the throb of people trying to get to the front of the stage. I looked around and saw Isshin taking to some of the teachers; but Ichigo was nowhere to be found.

I ignored the feelings of sadness that were starting to get the better of me and started to dance with Orihime. Despite how klutzy she was, she was actually a pretty good dancer. She moved in sync with the beat of the song and I just wanted to watch her. Our classmate, Uryu Ishida, was watching her from across the room. He eyes never left her form. It was pretty obvious that he had a thing for her.

The song changed to a slower one and we walked off the floor, watching all the couples take to the floor. A couple walked in-between Orihime and I, separating us. More people filled in the space and I lost sight of them. I was alone walking aimlessly through the crowd. "Katarina" Ichigo's voice caressed my ear. He was behind me and I completely froze.

"Ichigo…" I whispered.

I felt his hand on mine, turning me around to face him. The sight of him was breathtaking. He wore black pants and a white button-up shirt that framed his muscle toned body. His eyes stared into mine and I felt him slowly pull me closer to him. Without knowing it, his arm snaked around my back, drawing me in even closer. My body just moved on instinct with him, I really didn't know how to slow dance.

"You look amazing by the way" he said.

"Thank you" I replied.

I couldn't believe he was actually dancing with me, let alone telling me that I looked amazing. His touch sent fire throughout my entire body. I didn't want it to end; but a sudden flash of my vision appeared inside my head making me tense up; and that's when I saw her approaching. Ichigo held my hand tighter and leaned in a little closer to my face.

"Ichigo, what are you going?" the woman asked.

He let go of my hand and turned around to face her. His eyes got wide and then I knew who she was. She was the Soul Reaper that had given him his powers the first time and the woman I knew he cared about.

"Ru…Rukia" Ichigo stated.

**XxXx I know cliffhanger, I'm sorry. Let me know what you think. Romantic moments in the next chapter, I promise. XxXx**


	10. Chapter 10

**Author Note: Thank you so much for the reviews. I hope you all enjoy this new chapter. As I stated at the end of the last chapter, there will be some fluffy moments in this one. Hope you like and as always please review with your thoughts.**

**I don't own Bleach or its character; but I do own Katarina and the story lines.**

Chapter 10

**Renji's POV**

**-Twenty Minutes Prior to Rukia's appearance to Ichigo-**

I could sense Katarina from inside the school. I wondered if she was having fun with Orihime and Tatsuki. After she returned to Ichigo's house I stayed away from there, realizing that she had noticed the feelings he had for her; but even thinking that, I couldn't stay away. I found myself walking into the school, dressed in a pair of black dress pants and a white button-up shirt.

The school girls I passed seemed to stare at me and whisper things that I couldn't hear. Did they find me attractive? I wouldn't lie; I thought I was pretty good looking as far as appearances went. The girls in my squad always fumbled over their words and blushed in my presence.

I caught sight of Katarina dancing with Orihime and my heart started it usual rapid beating whenever I saw her. She was a sight for sore eyes. Breathtakingly beautiful, and I wished I had the guts to tell her that to her face.

"So that is her huh?" a voice asked behind me.

I knew that voice. I turned around to see Rukia standing there with her arms cross over her chest. Her eyes stared directly at Katarina, watching her every move, smile and gesture. I honestly didn't know what she was doing or why she was even here in the first place.

"Yeah that's Katarina" I replied with a still voice.

"Why haven't you reported her to the Soul Society?" she asked.

"I didn't see a point. She only has visions, that's not something to worry them over"

"Do you really think I'm blind?"

Her eyes bore into me, making me sweat with being caught in a lie that she obviously saw through. "I know what she is. I'm guessing Kisuke helped her with that" she stated turning her head back toward Katarina's form.

"Kisuke said that her human body wouldn't have been able to use kidō the way a Soul Reaper's body can. She agreed to the transition; but I honestly don't think it's worth telling the Soul Society"

"You care about her don't you?"

I froze at her question. Would she be angry if I told her truth? She smiled at me and it confused me. "Judging from the expression of your face, the answer is yes" she said again. I turned away and watched Katarina get separated from Orihime as that couples started to pile onto the dance floor.

Ichigo's orange hair was noticeable behind her and I had to watch him lead her onto the floor. His hand held hers and his other touched her back. The jealousy rose within me; but that's when I noticed that Rukia was no long next to me. She was pushing through the crowd to get to the man she cared about more than me.

**Katarina's POV**

Ichigo stared at the woman in front of us. He called her Rukia; which meant, I meant nothing now. She looked at me and gave a warm genuine smile. His touch was completely gone now and I stood beside him feeling the rift forming between us.

"What are you doing here, Rukia?" he asked.

"I came to find out more about the new spiritual pressure that the Department of Research and Development picked up" she replied.

I wondered if she meant me. If that was the case, then was I in trouble with the Soul Society for becoming a Soul Reaper? Ichigo turned to me; but never touched me. My eyes saw the longing behind his and I knew that it wasn't directed towards me. "Kat, can I have a moment alone with Rukia please?" he asked.

"Sure, I'll see you later" I replied.

I ran out of the large room, not looking back once. Orihime called out to me; but I ignored her call, feeling the tears starting to roll down my cheeks. I hated feeling this way, it wasn't really me at all; but I couldn't help it. With one simple look of Rukia, Ichigo crumbled before her.

"I'm so freaking stupid" I cried finally getting to the roof of the school.

I sat down on the cold concrete and leaned against the fence. The cool metal felt good against the warm skin of my back. The tears continued to roll down my cheeks and I realized that this was exactly what I had seen in my vision, another one that I couldn't prevent from coming true.

**Ichigo's POV**

Watching her run was hard for me, I knew that I had hurt her feelings. Even when Orihime called to her, she ignored it and continued to run. She was hurt and it was my fault. Rukia had a look of sympathy on her face. "So that's the one huh?" she asked.

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

"The one with the visions and the newest substitute Soul Reaper"

"H…How did you know about that?

"Did you really think it would go unnoticed?"

I didn't say anything. She was right; I knew they'd find out eventually. The question now was, were they going to punish her for what she did or were they going to give her a free pass like they did for me? "What are you really here for, Rukia?" I asked getting straight to the point.

"I was sent to keep an eye on her; but since she lives with you, that won't be too hard"

What exactly were they looking for in her? Rukia gently touched my arm. Looking down at her made me remember exactly why I had feelings for her in the first place. She was loyal, strong willed, beautiful and determined, much like Katarina. _**"Why am I comparing them?"**_ I mentally asked myself.

"I talked to Renji before coming over here and he seems to have changed since being here" she stated.

"Oh has he? I haven't really noticed" I replied obviously lying about it.

"He seems to care a great deal for the girl and I must say that it seems that you do as well"

I froze with her accusation. She wasn't wrong; I did care about Katarina; but I also cared about Rukia and the problem was in which one I cared for more. The music changed again and I felt her hand twine with mine. "Show me how to slow, Ichigo" she pleaded.

"Alright" I agreed leading her back onto the main floor.

**Renji's POV**

I watched Katarina run as fast as she could away from Ichigo and Rukia. My guess was that Ichigo wanted to be alone with her. I followed her through the school and pretty soon she had made her way to the roof. She sat down on the ground and broke down into sorrow-filled sobs that just broke my heart to hear.

"Rina" I said softly.

She lifted her head up from her knees and our eyes locked together. She was so beautiful even when she was crying. I wanted to comfort her and make her pain go away. "Renji…" she replied in between sobs.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"Yeah, I'll be fine eventually"

"This is about Rukia's appearance, isn't it?"

"She could have waiting until the dance was over"

So her feelings were hurt because Rukia interrupted their dance. I should have known that she cared for him a lot more than she did me. I, of course, didn't help my cause by staying away from her when she returned to the Kurosaki house. Tears continued to drip from her long lashes and roll down her cheeks.

I sat down beside her and despite my better judgment; I pulled her into my arms. Her body went tense, like I had surprised her with my gesture. She looked up at me and I reached my free hand out to wipe away her tears. "You are beautiful. Don't let Rukia let you think otherwise. I'm sorry that she interrupted the dance you wanted"

"Renji…you…you think…you think I'm beautiful?" she asked trying to stop herself from crying more.

I smiled at her and moved my thumb across her full lips. They were just begging to be kissed. The urge to do so was becoming more and more difficult to ignore. "Of course I do. I wouldn't have said it, if I didn't think so" I replied.

She buried her face into my chest and held onto me tightly. I hated the thought of her not getting what she really wanted. I knew Rukia wouldn't be leaving the Festival, so she wouldn't get to finish the dance she started with Ichigo.

"Rina"

"Hmm"

"Come on, I'll dance with you. I know that I'm not Ichigo; but I hope I'm a good enough substitute."

She pulled away from me rather quickly and stood up. The back of her dress had a sheer lining clear to her tailbone. The slit on the side showed her leg off quite well and I couldn't help but stare at her. "Renji, you are no substitute. I care about you just as much, if not more, than Ichigo" she replied.

Her answer came as a surprise to me. _**"She cared about me"**_ I thought and a smile crept to my face. Standing up, I closed the distance between us and I gently turned her around. Rukia's rejection had hurt for quite some time; but this woman seemed to make me forget all about it. I longed for her and her touch.

"Come one Renji, I want that dance"

I followed her back inside and immediately caught sight of Orihime talking to Rukia and Ichigo. Looking down at Katarina next to me, I saw the hurt look on her face; but I will have to admit, she was pretty good at hiding it. Her fingers laced with mine and it surprised me. The feeling of her warm hand entwined with mine sent a warm jolt of electricity throughout my entire body.

**Katarina's POV**

Seeing Ichigo with Rukia made my chest ache; but it was severely dulled by Renji's warmth next to me. I pushed my feelings of sadness away and focused only on Renji. He said he'd dance with me and that's really all I wanted. Something was different about him today and I wondered if it had anything to do with Rukia's appearance.

"Are you sure that you are okay?" he asked.

"I'm fine Renji, are you okay?" I countered.

"What do you mean?"

"Rukia is someone you care about deeply, aren't you upset with her?"

He let out a sigh. I must have hit something sensitive and the guilt was starting to set in. His eyes left mine and returned to the image across the room. "I've told her how I felt about her months ago. She never responded to it" he answered.

His words stung a little; I was a substitute for her and I was no better. In some ways, we were substitutes for each other; but my feelings for him were growing at rapid pace. The song changed again and the couples were pilling onto the dance floor. Renji squeezed my hand and I instinctively followed him. This was my chance to see how far my feelings for him stretched out to.

His other hand touched the lower part of my back and he led me to move. My feet moved with grace with the beautiful song. The one thing I was proud of was that I could slow dance like an angel. I may not be as beautiful as one; but I moved like one. I was surprised to find that Renji could dance just as graceful.

"Where did you learn to dance like this?" I asked.

"What's so surprising about that?" he asked.

"I…I just didn't think-"

"Didn't think someone who isn't human could dance?"

"Uh…yeah…"

His grip on my back tightened and he pulled me in even closer. I rested my free hand against his chest and underneath my palm lay nothing but the toned muscles of his chest. "Just because we aren't human, doesn't mean we don't do human things" he stated.

"Awe, look how cute Kat looks with Renji" Orihime squealed from beside Rukia and Ichigo.

I could feel the heat on my cheeks intensify and I turned away from him, embarrassed. Renji lifted my head up with his fingertip. I met his gaze and couldn't seem to shift my eyes away. I felt like I was hypnotized by the depths of his golden brown orbs. His face seemed to get closer and I started to panic. _**"Is he going to kiss me?"**_ I thought.

His lips stopped inches from mine and I felt his hand cup the back of my head. My heart was pounding against my chest so hard that I thought it would leave a bruise. A smile formed on his face and I wondered why he stopped. "Judging from your reaction, I'd say that you have never been kissed" he commented.

"Why would you say that? Maybe I'm just nervous" I countered.

"Perhaps; but I believe that you never have been kissed"

"Well forgive me for not having a thousand guys pinning after me when I lived at home"

His face moved in a little more and I could feel his warm breath against my lips. I lightly licked them out of reflex. "It was their loss for not pursuing you" he said and I felt myself grow stiff in utter shock. I never would have thought any of the things he said to come out of his mouth.

The song ended and we stood still in the silence. I waited to see if he would kiss me; but he moved away with a smile. I was disappointed that he hadn't given me my first kiss; but then again, it was obvious that he cared more for Rukia than me.

"Did you think I was going to kiss you?" he asked.

"Uh…were you?" I asked.

"I was; but it's not the right time"

"Thanks for dancing with me, Renji" I said softly changing the subject and I backed away out of his arms.

"There is no need to thank me for that. I wanted to dance with you" he replied.

I walked away from him and proceeded to leave the school. At least now, I had a few moments with both of them before I left for America in the morning. There was no way that I was going to let anything happen to my step-mom. My father would be completely devastated without her.

When I got back to the house, Yuzu was still awake and her eyes connected with mine. "How did it go?" she asked. I really didn't feel like talking about all the disappointments of the evening. Before I could even say a word, Ichigo walked through the door. I looked at him for a second and immediately turned away towards the staircase.

"Katarina, wait…" he called.

I stopped at the top of the step and turned to face him in the stairwell. His eyes held guilt within them. Did he feel guilty for what happened between us? I looked around and tried to sense around the house for Rukia's presence. "Rukia isn't here, if that's who you're looking for" he stated.

"Ichigo, you don't need to feel like you have to apologize for what happened tonight"

"I…"

"Don't….she means a lot to you, even I can see that"

"Katarina, I didn't mean for her to interrupt us. I wanted to finish that dance with you. You looked amazingly beautiful tonight"

As much as I had wanted to hear him say that to me, I didn't really believe he was saying it from his heart. He didn't want tension between us. "Thank you" I replied trying to ignore the tears that were starting to sting the corners of my eyes.

"I'm sorry" he apologized.

"You don't need to apologize, I already told you that"

"I hurt your feelings…"

I held my hand out to stop him from talking. I didn't want the last night here to be filled with sadness and guilt. Leaning in, I wrapped my arms around his torso tightly. "Ichigo, if something happens to me, please don't forget me" I said choking on my words.

"What are you talking about? Did you see something?" he asked franticly.

"Just promise me…"

He held onto me tighter and pressed his lips onto my forehead. Even though he didn't say that he promised, his gesture was enough of a promise for me. I pulled out of his arms and backed into the room I shared with the twins. "Goodnight, Ichigo" I said quietly and closed the door gently.

The next morning I awoke at 5 am and quietly packed all my things into my bag. Today was the day that I would be going back home, in attempts to protect my family from whatever it is that's after them or me. Gently, I opened the front door and slipped out into the cool early morning.

"Goodbye Ichigo, thank you for everything."

I wished that I could have told Renji goodbye as well; but now I knew that it was impossible. I walked to the main streets and signaled for a taxi. Once inside, I told them to take me to airport. My plane ticket was clenched tightly in my hand and the tears were already starting to fall in soundless sobs.

**XxXx I hope everyone enjoyed, please review with your thoughts. XxXx**

.


	11. Chapter 11

**Author Note: I want to thank Anna Riza Kurosaki, Black Primrose '94, Guest, Yashiru Kusajishi, RenRuki fan, Bee, Guest, Anne, Neredia, FanGirl1567, Cloudbliss Of BreezeClan, and g0ldf1sh101 for reviewing this story. I appreciate every single one. They give me motivation to continue writing when I have doubts about it; so thank you very much. I also want to thank all the readers who follow/favorite this story. **

** I also want to apologize for the long wait for this chapter; but I had hit a block when it came to ideas. I also had to use a converter to figure out how much twenty dollars would equal to in Yen for a scene early on. I hope you like it and please review with your thoughts.**

Chapter 11

**Katarina's POV**

The taxi stopped moving in front of Karakura Airport. My heart was pounding against my chest and the urge to cry was almost unbearable. I already missed the safe feeling of being in the Kurosaki household and the protective nature of both Renji and Ichigo.

"That will be 1885.80 Yen, miss." The taxi driver stated.

"Oh that's right, sorry about that." I replied.

I handed the man the money he required and exited the car. The sky was so cloudy that it looked like it could downpour at any moment. I made my way inside and weaved through the large crowds of people. When I finally reached the counter, the lady greeted me with a warm smile. "How can I help you?" She asked.

"Could you tell me which gate my flight is?"

She took my ticket and scanned over the information. Her fingers worked diligently on her computer, imputing the information she had previous read. "It looks like the gate is H-6." She answered and handed me my ticket back.

"Thank you."

"Have a nice flight."

I continued on down the long wide open hallway. The H section was on the right-hand side and I just followed the signs. H-6 was before me and I stood frozen in the line. I was second guessing my decision to leave; but the fact was that I really had no choice. My step-mother's life was in danger and I was the only one that could prevent it from happening.

**Ichigo's POV**

I awoke to the loud buzzing of my alarm clock. I slammed the button to stop the annoying buzzing before I threw the damn thing. When I sat up, a wave of dread ran down my spine. Katarina's spiritual pressure was nowhere to be found. Panicked, I quickly dressed and ran out of my room. Karin was walking out of her room and I saw the worry that was clearly present on her face.

"Where is Katarina?" I asked.

"She was gone when we woke up. All her things are gone too." She replied.

I froze with the thought of her leaving for good. Karin walked down the stairs sadly and I rushed back into my room, shutting the door behind me. Once inside, I opened my closet door and Rukia looked at me with a confused look upon her face.

"She's gone." I stated.

"I heard. Where would she go? I'm supposed to be keeping an eye on her." Rukia replied.

I thought about it a moment; but no thoughts came to mind except Kisuke Urahara. Rukia jumped out of the closet and opened her soul phone. She pushed a few buttons as her brows furrowed in frustration. "Renji, is at Kisuke's." She announced.

That only meant that she probably wasn't there. I tried to think back on the previous night's events, trying to remember something that might lead me to where she might have gone.

**Katarina's POV**

I sat down in my seat on the plane. Again, I was grateful to have the aisle seat. Beside me was a man in his late thirties and beside him was a woman around the same age. I figured they were probably a couple. I reached inside my jacket pocket and pulled out my IPod and earbuds. _**"Thank god for music."**_ I thought.

The music started to play and I found myself thinking about the dance. The feeling of Renji's arms around me as we danced was something that I could never forget. He had been so close in kissing me and giving me exactly what I dreamed of for so long, my first kiss. My body was beginning to hum with desire; but I forced it down, closing my eyes at the same time.

"_**Katarina, you must forget about them for now. We have a more important mission now." A voice echoed inside my head.**_

The voice was familiar and within a few moments, I recognized the voice as my zanpakuto's. I smiled knowing that she was with me, even as my heart struggled with my decision to leave what I loved behind. _**"Don't worry. I know what I have to do."**_ I replied. An image of her flashed behind my eyes and she was simply smiling.

The fact was that I really didn't know if I could prevent what was going to happen to my step-mother. So far, I haven't been able to prevent any of my visions from coming true. They were just a cursed reminder that I knew beforehand and had to witness again. If I was going to die protecting my family, then I wished that I had kissed Renji before I left. _**"Don't start thinking that way."**_ Her voiced echoed again.

"_**I'm sorry." I replied.**_

**Renji's POV**

Ichigo had stormed into Kisuke's shop demanding his help in locating Katarina. The mentioning of her name made my heart race and the thought of her being gone was almost frightening. After two hours of coming up with nothing, Rukia returned to The Soul Society to ask for help in locating her.

"This is my fault." Ichigo stated.

"How do you figure?" I asked.

"I hurt her feelings."

I sat down on the edge of the building we were standing upon. "Listen, I really doubt it was anyone's fault. The visions were starting to take its toll on her. I could see it in her eyes. My guess is that she went somewhere to figure them out." I explained.

Ichigo looked at me with a dumbfounded look. It almost seemed like I sparked something inside his head. "She must have gone home." He whispered. I raised an eyebrow at his statement.

"Would she really have gone back without telling anyone?" I asked.

"Who knows; but it would explain why all her things are gone from my house." He replied.

I sat in silence thinking about her. Her ice blue eyes, raven black hair, and full lips were the most noticeable of her features; but what attracted me to her was her personality. The day I saved her from a hollow, I knew there was something special about her. I just never thought I feel this way about her.

"Ichigo! Renji!" Rukia yelled from the rooftop across from us.

We flash-stepped over to her and saw that her expression was that of concern. Her information gathering must have been a success. "Where is she, Rukia?" I asked. She turned to look at me with solemn eyes.

"She's on her way back to America." She answered.

"I knew it." Ichigo stated.

"So what now?" I asked.

She was silent and I just knew that her response wouldn't be a good one. Her violet eyes quivered. Ichigo reached his arm out to touch her shoulder. Her body relaxed almost instantly. Watching them together, I knew that their bond would be forever strong.

"There has been strong hollow activity there within the last few days. The Department of Research and Development feel that they are searching for something or someone and it couldn't be just a coincidence that Katarina is from there." Rukia explained.

"They are searching for her." Ichigo said.

"Most likely; but with her heading in that direction now, she's will be in immediate danger. The orders are simple. We must keep her alive at all costs."

She didn't need to tell me twice to protect her. If she hadn't said the orders were to follow her, I would have done so anyway. I regretted not kissing during our dance and when I see her, I will do just that.

**Katarina's POV**

Hours on a plane didn't do my back any justice. My body ached with stiffness and I found myself calling another taxi to take me home. I held my bag firmly in my hand as the yellow car stopped for me. "Central Park West Apartments." I told the driver and he pulled out onto the freeway.

My nerves were about shot and I really wasn't looking forward to returning to the home that I dreaded. I knew my father wouldn't be there, so there was no back up from him. It would be one on one with her. I looked out the window at the passing cars. The city really was a beautiful sight; but knowing what really goes on from within, it really wasn't.

The sun was setting behind the larger buildings of the city and the sky was turning to shades of pink, orange, yellow and red. The mixture was a breathtaking sight and it made me wish for company. Traffic was always the worst this time of day and the taxi driver was getting impatient. I didn't understand why. He was getting paid no matter what. My body started to hum with energy and I shook my head trying to prevent what was coming; but try as I may, the vision still got through my resistance.

_Inside my head I could see Renji and Ichigo talking to each other as they were running down a dark tunnel. I didn't recognize the place; but I'm sure they did considering they looked like they knew where they were going. Ahead of them was a light. Once they passed through it, they came into a place that caught my attention immediately._

"_Do you think we will make it in time to save her?" Ichigo asked._

"_Of course we will. Don't say such things idiot." Renji replied._

_ I didn't know who they were talking about; but I did realize that the place they ended up in was probably The Soul Society. There were large buildings surrounded my villages on all sides. I was beginning to think that they were following after me. That thought made my heart ache. I didn't want them to get hurt because of me. I couldn't seem to pull myself out of the vision. It continued on despite my pleas to get away. _

"_Ichigo, the senkaimon is up ahead." Rukia stated._

"_Yeah, I see it." He replied._

_ The three of them passed through a portal-like gate and continued on through another dark tunnel. On the other side of this one, was New York City. They were following me; but the sky wasn't dark like it was now, it was daybreak. They would be appearing at a different time._

_ The vision skipped ahead and this time I saw Renji battling a large hollow that's mask was partially open. It didn't look like any hollow that I've ever seen. The more I looked at the more it looked familiar. My heart fell and then I realized where I've seen it before; my kidnapping vision._

I shot forward with a startled gasp of breath. The driver pulled into the parking lot of the apartment building. I quickly scrambled out of the car, grabbing my bag. Tossing money at the driver through the window, I ran towards the front doors. "Hello Katarina. It's been such a long time since I've seen you." The neighbor said as I walked in.

"Yeah, I was in Japan for a while." I replied.

"Wow, I bet you had fun. I can see it on your face. Did you meet someone special?"

Her question took me by surprise. I never would have guessed that she would have been that observant and I just didn't know what to say to her. "Something like that. I really need to get home." I stated and took off down the hall.

My apartment was the very last one on the first floor. I dug my key out and unlocked the door to find the place trashed. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I mentally begged that I wasn't too late to save her. "Mom!" I yelled. There was no sound or a hint of her presence at all. The living room was completely destroyed. I froze when I saw what looked like blood in the kitchen floor.

"No no no no, please be alright." I pleaded.

I turned the corner and saw the pool of blood with my step-mother prone body face first on the floor. My body felt numb and I couldn't move an inch. I failed to prevent another vision from happening. Collapsing to the floor next to her, I reached out to touch the side of her face. Tears rolled down my cheeks as I felt the warmth still present of her face. This had been done very recently.

"Katarina…" Her voice called.

I turned to see her standing in soul form. The chain was attached to her chest and still to her body as well. Her long brown hair was slightly grayer than I remembered. Her eyes stared at me for a long moment. "I'm sorry that I couldn't save you." I cried.

"No, I'm the one that's sorry." She replied.

I looked up from her prone lifeless body in a pool of crimson. She smiled at me and closed the distance between us. "I've been cruel to you, unfair. I am truly sorry for that. I made you feel unloved your entire life." She said again.

The tears fell faster and dripped off my chin onto the back of my hand. I didn't understand why I couldn't have prevented this one from happening. I left in plenty of time. How did they know I was coming here?

"There is no need to apologize. I've already forgiven you. I know the truth about my birth and that you are not my birth mother. It couldn't have been easy for you raise a child that wasn't your own"

"It's still no excuse. I should have been better to you"

I reached into the pocket of my jeans and pulled out a coin shaped device. In the center was the shape of a skull and the wood around the edge was a turquoise color and the rest was a red color. "What is that?" She asked.

"This is what will help me change into someone who can help you pass on." I explained.

Kisuke made sure to give me this after I successfully completed my transition to Soul Reaper. It was similar to Ichigo's combat pass he had received from the Soul Society. Thinking of Ichigo made my heart ache. I couldn't image how he felt when he realized that I just left without telling anyone.

I placed the circular object against my chest and I popped free of my body. My body slumped to the floor, lifeless. My step-mother looked at me with wide eyes. I simply smiled and pulled my zanpakuto from my side, turning the bottom up. The very bottom of the hilt started to glow white.

"I will avenge you, Mom." I stated and tapped her forehead with the bottom of my sword.

"I love you, Katarina." She replied before fading away completely.

A butterfly of black and pink fluttered next to me for a few seconds before flying away. The second I put my sword back inside its sheath, I heard a very male voice laughing. My hand instinctively went for the hilt of my sword. "Who's there?" I asked.

**Renji's POV**

I ran down the large dark tunnel. We had already passed through the Soul Society and now we were on our way to America. The light was ahead of us; I had a bad feeling that something was very wrong. It almost seemed like Katarina was emotionally distraught; but I didn't know how I could feel that from this far away.

"Renji, are you alright?" Rukia asked.

"Yeah. I was just thinking about something." I replied.

"About Katarina?"

"Yeah"

Rukia looked at me with a sincere smile. It was almost creepy how sincere it really was. Her fingers touched the back of my hand. "You care a lot about her don't you?" She asked. I contemplated telling her the whole truth. She was still my friend after all, even if she shot my romantic emotions towards her down a few months ago.

"Yeah I do" I replied.

"I'm happy for you. Have you told her?" She asked.

"No and now I kicking myself in the ass for not saying anything to her."

"When we find her, you can tell her then."

I nodded and continued on through the light and we came out in a city. This place was completely different than Karakura Town. The noises were even different along with the smells. We stood on top of a roof overlooking the main part of the city.

The moment I felt Katarina's spiritual pressure, my head shot up in alert. I knew that we needed to act. "That's Katarina's spiritual pressure." I said rushing off the rooftop in her direction.

"Wait Renji!" Rukia yelled after me.

I ignored her call and continued on towards the feeling of Katarina's spiritual pressure.

**XxXx I hoped everyone liked the new chapter. An introduction of Katarina's zanpakuto will be in the next chapter and quite possibly a fluffy moment at the end. Please review with your thoughts. XxXx**


	12. Chapter 12

**Author Note: Thank you for the new reviews. I'm happy with the positive reception to this story. Katarina's zanpakuto will be revealed in this chapter. The translations will be at the end of the chapter. I hope you all will like this new chapter and as always please review with your thoughts.**

"**And if I try to get away**

**How long until I'm free?**

**And if I don't come back here**

**Will you remember me?" **

'**Remember Me' by: The Birthday Massacre**

Chapter 12

**Ichigo's POV**

I watched Renji take off without hesitation in Katarina's direction. I never realized that he cared that much about her to risk is own life without a second thought about it. The thing was, I would have done the same thing for her. Rukia stood next to me and I was painfully aware of her concern. "Let's go after him." She suggested and we both leapt off after him.

"Are you okay, Ichigo?" She asked.

"Let's get her safely back home." I replied.

"Technically she is home now."

I didn't realize that I had let that slip out of my mouth. I turned back to look at her and saw the confusion in her violet eyes. "She doesn't belong here and you know it. Her family doesn't understand her or even want to understand her. She belongs with people who understand her." I stated.

"That's not really your decision."

"I know; but I can suggest that she stay with us."

I honestly didn't know how to describe the feelings I felt for Katarina; but there was one thing I did know and that was I had to save her. Rukia laced her fingers with mine and I tightened my grip around her hand, soaking in the feeling of comfort that came with it.

**Katarina's POV**

The laugh was almost sinister and it made my heart race with adrenaline. I snapped my head from side to side, trying to figure out where the voice was coming from. "It's a shame the woman didn't give up your location. I would have spared her life." The voice said.

"Show yourself coward." I yelled.

He laughed again. A small opening appeared in which he stepped out of a black void. He looked almost human-like; but he had a hollow mask that covered most of his face. The one eye that I could see was red in color and his hair was shoulder length, black in color. Kisuke had explained to me about the device he created to break the barriers between Soul Reapers and Hollows. I was beginning to think this hollow was subjected to that device and sent after me.

"What do you want with me?" I asked.

"I don't want anything. Lord Aizen wants your powers."

The name sounded familiar. There had been so much information that Kisuke had given me that it was starting to blur together. My hand tightened its grip on the hilt of my zanpakuto, pulling it free from its sheath at my side. "What powers would that be? I'm just a substitute Soul Reaper." I asked trying to act dumb.

"You know exactly what powers I'm talking about. I was given orders to take you to him alive by any means necessary."

"I'm not going anywhere; but I will avenge my mother's death." I stated.

"You are welcome to try."

His lips curved into a sly smile and it only fueled my anger. I looked down at the white hilt of my sword. It was time to fight and protect the memory of my mother. I made peace with the fact that she wasn't really my mother. She died protecting me and I would forever be haunted by that knowledge. It was time I paid her back to protecting me.

"Freeze, Hakuhyō." I called.

Black ice froze the floor beneath me. My sword turned black with white lines and at the bottom of the hilt dangled a white snowflake. The hollow before me neither smiled nor frowned. His expression was vacant. I wasted little time attacking him. Using my speed to my advantage, I flash-stepped behind him. Twisting my wrist, my sword turned with the blade pointing towards his back.

The hollow moved swiftly to avoid my attack and he simply laughed at my attempt. "You do have some skill; but it won't be enough to defeat me, little girl." He taunted. I narrowed my eyes in frustration. I could hear Hakuhyō whisper in my head to remain calm. My mind wandered to ideas to defeat him.

It finally dawned on me that kidō might be what Aizen was after; because I simply couldn't believe that he would want my visions. They were unreliable. I held my hand out generating a spark of crackling yellow energy in my palm. Using the energy, I drew an inverted triangle. The points solidified into smaller triangle. "Shititsu Sansen." I called.

The three pointed were released and pinned the hollow to the living room wall. Kisuke praised me for not having to use the incantation for any kidō spell I learned and it was just as powerful even without it. The hollow started to laugh hysterically. "What exactly is so funny?" I asked pointing my sword to his throat.

"You really are naïve for a Soul Reaper." He replied.

"Oh I know that I haven't even come close to defeating you. I can sense the spiritual energy you are hiding right now."

The look on his face was unreadable. It was nothing like the energy I could tell he was hiding. With only his spiritual pressure, the three points that held him against the wall shattered. He was free. I held my sword up to protect myself from his strike from his hand. His strength pushed me back until my back was against the opposite wall.

My body cracked the wall and the pain shot up my spine. I cried out in pain. For the first time since he appeared I started to feel fear. Sensing his spiritual pressure, I knew that I couldn't defeat him with my current strength. It didn't matter how many kidō spells I learned or the fact that I had learned shikai. His strength was simply far superior to my own.

"Give up now and come with me." He demanded.

"Never!" I spat.

I pushed back and managed to get away from him long enough to roll out of the way of another strike.

**Renji's POV**

I knew that she was fighting someone inside the apartment when the building came into sight. She was all I could think about. I hated the thought of not getting to her in time. The guilt of not giving her what she wanted during our dance was eating me alive.

The sound of glass shattering alerted me to a window on the bottom level of the apartment building. Using Shunpo, I gained the distance much quicker. I leapt through the now open window to see Katarina lying on the floor. She was struggling to get to her feet. The hollow turned his attention away from her and towards me.

"How the hell are you?" He asked.

"Lieutenant of Squad Six, Renji Abarai." I introduced.

"R…Ren…ji" She stammered.

It was a kick to the heart to hear her voice shake the way that it was. The hollow smiled. I could tell that this one was very different than any other hollows that I've ever come across. To be honest, I wasn't really interesting in defeating him. I was more interested in getting Katarina away from him.

My eyes shifted to the lifeless body lying in a pool of blood next to Katarina. I realized that it must have been her mother or the only mother that she's ever known. Looking into her eyes, I could see the sorrow behind them along with guilt. It was obvious that she blamed herself for the woman's death.

"I'm not interesting in you Lieutenant. My only interest her is the girl." The hollow stated.

"You can't have her." I replied.

"You are welcome to try and stop me."

I reached for the hilt of my zanpakuto; but stopped mid-pull as Katarina stood up. Her spiritual pressure radiated off her in a light blue color. "You will hurt no one else that I care about." She said through clenched teeth.

The blade of her zanpakuto froze with ice. I watched intently, waiting for the moment to interfere. The hollow seemed at a loss for words. He was watching her power continue to increase without warning. At this point, I didn't know where to power was coming from; but it was then that I realized that she was feeding off her emotions.

"Reitōken" She stated.

She slashed the air with her blade, sending a wave of ice in the direction of the prone hollow. Tears trickled down her cheeks as the ice connected with him. The ice towered around him, encasing him inside the frozen shell. She collapsed to her knees in sorrow-filled sobs. I knelt down in front of her. "He…he killed her." She cried.

I didn't know what to say to her. She looked so fragile and helpless. Reaching out with my hand, I cupped her cheek in my palm. She nuzzled in closer and it made my heart skip a beat. Without warning, she lunged into my arms and held on tightly. Her cries were heartbreaking to hear. The fact that she couldn't save the only mother she's ever known made it that much worse.

"Rina, I'm sorry." I said trying to comfort her.

"What good are these visions if I can't even prevent one of them?" She asked.

"Renji! Katarina!" Rukia yelled from the open window.

"In here." I yelled back.

They walked around the corner and saw the unpleasant scene around us. Ichigo looked down at Katarina in my arms. His eyes showed an almost jealous expression. Rukia stepped towards us and knelt down before her. "I'm so sorry for your loss; but we really need to get out of here before anyone else comes looking for you." She said taking her hands into her own.

"I'm just glad I got to send her to the Soul Society before she turned into a hollow." Katarina stated.

"You performed a Konsō on her?" Ichigo asked.

"Yeah and I got to talk her for a few moments. We made peace with each other."

Rukia smiled and helped her up to her feet. I stood up behind her and she leaned back into me. The feel of her body against mine was surreal. It reminded me of something I only imagined of happening with Rukia. "Let's go." Ichigo said turning his back on us.

"Go where exactly?" Katarina asked.

"Back where you belong." He replied simply.

"And where would that be?"

"With my family…."

**Katarina's POV**

Ichigo's statement really hit close to my heart. It surprised me to know that he accepted me being there. The thought of the twins made the guilt dig in deeper. I was pretty sure Yuzu was upset with me leaving. I knew that I would have to come up with a good apology for getting up and leaving so abruptly.

"Thank you…"I said softly.

I followed them across the city. Rukia used her zanpakuto to open a gate. They called it a senkaimon and we entered it. Inside was dark and very cave-like. The tunnel seemed endless and the more I ran the more thoughts ran through my head.

"Why did you guys come after me?" I asked.

"Do you even need to ask that?" Ichigo asked.

I didn't say anything. Renji smiled at me and took my hand into his. "We came because we wanted to." He answered. I tightened my grip on his hand, lacing my fingers with his. Rukia looked back with a smile upon her beautiful face.

After another five minutes of running, I saw a white light at the end of the tunnel. As we passed through it the sky was dark and an image of a lot of white buildings appeared before me. There was a large white tower in the center and a large hill beyond that. I was amazed by what I was seeing. "Where are we?" I asked in awe.

"The Soul Society." Renji replied with a smile.

I didn't know why that surprised me; but it did. I never thought I'd ever get to see what the place looked like. As we walked out of the gate, a couple other Soul Reapers greeted Rukia and Renji. They stared at me for a long moment before asking who I was.

"This is Katarina Misora." Rukia introduced.

They talked amongst themselves in hushed whispers. I could still make out some of the things they were saying. The one thing that stuck out the most was 'Misora' was a noble family's name. I always wondered why my last name was different than my father's and now I knew why.

"Rukia!" A soft male's voice shouted.

I turned to see a man with long white hair. He wore the same black uniform as the rest of the Soul Reapers; but over it, he wore a white sleeveless jacket. It obviously indicated rank of some kind. Rukia turned to see him and she bowed her head in greeting. "Captain Ukitake" she addressed.

"Is this really her?" He asked.

"Yes" Rukia replied.

I was confused on what they were talking about and I was determined for some answers. He looked at me with a warm smile and seemed genuine. He seemed familiar to me, like I had seen him somewhere before or in a vision when I was younger. "Please make yourself at home within Squad Thirteen. I'll answer your questions in the morning when you've rested." He told me.

"Thank you." I replied.

Renji turned to me and let go of the hand he held. "I have to report back to my Captain. I'll see you later." He stated and leapt away. I felt almost alone without him there. I guessed that I cared about him more than I originally thought. Captain Ukitake led us back to a large office like place.

"I'll see you in the morning Captain. I'm sure my brother has been asking about me since I returned." Rukia said.

"Goodnight Rukia."

Ichigo watched her walk out the door with wandering eyes, leaving us alone with her Captain. "Ichigo, you may rest in that room to the left. Katarina, you may rest in the room next to it." He offered.

Ichigo touched my shoulder and gave me a look of concern. I touched his hand with my own and gave it a squeeze. "I'm fine Ichigo, really." I expressed. His eyes never wavered from mine and it made me feel bad about leaving without telling him.

"I'm sorry Ichigo. I thought leaving without telling you was the best thing. It would have changed my mind about it if I had told you or anyone else." I apologized.

I walked into the room Captain Ukitake issued for my use without waiting for his response. Sliding the door shut, I slid to the floor as the warm tears cascaded down my cheeks. This was the first time I really let my step-mother's death really sink in. She was gone and it was my fault. I didn't know what my father would think when he got back from his deployment. Would he blame me or would he just think it was some random murder?

Standing up, I walked over to the window and looked up at the full moon. I wanted to get a better look; so I jumped out the window and leapt up to the roof. The clouds scattered across the sky at a fairly fast pace. "Such a beautiful sight…" I whispered.

"It is beautiful isn't it?" Renji's voice echoed from behind me.

I quickly turned around to see him standing there. His warm smile greeted me and it instantly calmed me down. "I thought I wouldn't see you until tomorrow." I said sitting down on the roof with my knees up against my chest.

"Well…I…I wanted to see you."

I could feel him behind me sitting down. He wrapped his arms around me from behind and pulled me onto his lap. His action took me completely off guard; but his warmth was best comfort I could ever ask for. "Renji, did you know about me before you met me?" I asked.

"No, I wasn't in the Soul Society when you were discovered by the Department of Research and Development."

I was slightly relieved to know that. At least he wasn't there because of a job he was ordered to do. I reached up to touch his face, gently tracing a fingertip along his jawline. My vision blurred with pending tears. Before I could blink, he leaned down and captured my lips with his own. Instinct took over and I closed my eyes feeling the tears roll down my cheeks. His lips moved across my lips over and over again, sending my heart racing a million miles a minute and my hand gripped his uniform tightly, pulling him closer to me.

This is was a perfect ending to an awful day. He just made all my pain go away and I just knew that I was falling for him. When he broke away, he leaned his forehead against mine. "I'll protect you no matter what." He whispered before kissing me again.

**XxXx Translation for Katarina's zanpakuto**

**Hakuhyō****- Black Ice**

**Reitōken****- Frozen Sword**

**I hope everyone enjoyed the newest chapter and I apologize it took so long. Please review with your thoughts. XxXx**


	13. Chapter 13

**Author Note: Thank you for the lovely reviews. This chapter is mostly about Katarina's past and I hope it clears some questions up for you guys. It took a little longer to write than I had wanted, so I apologize for the wait. Here is the new chapter and as always please review.**

Chapter 13

**Ichigo's POV**

I could sense Katarina on the roof and it just begged for me to keep her company. That is until I felt Renji's spiritual pressure with her. Curiosity was eating at me. I wanted to know what they were talking about; so I walked out of the room I was assigned to and looked up from the ground at them.

He pulled her onto his lap and held her close. The blush on her cheeks was beautiful and I knew that she enjoyed his comfort. Jealousy was rising to the surface uncontrollably. The second his lips touched hers, my heart shattered to pieces. He had won her heart and I was paying the price for choosing Rukia over the chance to get close to her at that dance.

"Katarina…" I whispered and turned my back to them and returned to my room.

Sitting down on the mattress on the floor, I dropped my head into my hands. It was plain as day that she enjoyed his company and him in general. I didn't know if I should give up on her or try to sway her to me. "Ichigo… are… you okay?" Rukia's voice tickled my ear as I felt her sit down next to me.

"I… I don't know." I replied.

"Is this about Katarina?" She asked.

I lifted my head up from my hands and shifted in her direction. Her violet eyes dug into my own eyes and it felt somewhat comforting. Her hand reached out to touch my hand. "Maybe you should let her go. It's pretty obvious that she and Renji have formed a close bond. You'll only get hurt in the end." She explained.

"Maybe…."

She leaned her head against my shoulder and held onto my hand tighter, trying to comfort me to the best of her ability. No matter what I've gone through since knowing her, she's always been there for me in my time of need.

**Katarina's POV**

Renji's lips felt heavenly against mine. Pleasurable tingles coursed through my entire body the second his tongue swiped against my slightly parted lips. He was begging for entrance to my mouth. Energy surged through my veins and I could see a small light behind my eyelids. Instantly, I pulled away knowing what was about the happen. A vision was making its way into my mind.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"A vision is coming." I replied and the moment the words were out of my mouth, the light engulfed me.

_ The feeling of floating in air was present and I opened my eyes to see myself looking down on Captain Ukitake. His hair was covering his face and I couldn't make out his expression. Something wasn't right about his posture though and that's when I heard the quiet sob of crying. He was crying. I never would have imagined seeing a grown man cry about anything; but then again he seemed a lot older than anyone other Soul Reaper I've come across._

"_Catalina, she looks just like you. I wish you were here to see her. She's beautiful just like you were." His voice cracked between every other word._

_ The name seemed familiar and I didn't know why. The way he talked it made it seem like he was talking about me and my biological mother. Did he really know her personally? The light changed the vision to another scene. _

_ The ice shell I trapped the hollow I defeated shattered and the monster was released. His red eyes glowed with power and I knew that he would be coming after me once again. Fear crept its way into my heart and I felt that Renji and everyone I cared about would be in danger if I didn't do as he said._

"_I'm coming after you, little girl." He said and vanished from the spot he stood in._

I snapped out of the vision with a jolt and I sucked in heavy breaths of air to regulate my rapid heart rate. Renji's arms were around me in a split second. "Shh, it's alright. Calm down." He whispered against my ear.

"He's alive." I cried.

"Who?"

"That hollow I defeated."

His grip tightened around me and his lips kissed my forehead. I didn't know what to make of the first part of the vision; but the second part made me fear the worst. Was I really this important object that Aizen needed? I couldn't fathom it at all. Renji helped me up and he leaned in to kiss my lips once more. "Get some sleep, Rina. You are going to need it." He stated.

"Renji, why am I being targeted?" I asked.

"Honestly, I don't know; but I promise that I won't let anything happen to you."

"You can't promise something like that."

"Don't worry about it tonight. Come on, let's get you to bed."

Complying with his request, I jumped down and leapt through the open window. The room I was assigned to was simple. The mattress on the floor was calling my name. My body was lying on the mattress next to the pillow. Rukia must have brought it back with us and I just never noticed it.

Renji cupped my cheek in his hand and leaned in, our forehead touching. "Goodnight, Rina. If you need me, just push out some of your spiritual pressure." He said softly and then kissed my lips before leaping out the window. I looked up at the full moon once more before walking back to the mattress.

"Goodnight, Renji…" I whispered before sleep quickly took over.

**Renji's POV**

The next morning was the day Captain Ukitake would be giving Katarina answers. His reaction was unexpected when he saw her for the first time. It almost was like he thought she was dead or something. What did he know about her? I quickly bathed and got dressed. The office was a short distance from my quarters and I needed to check in with Captain Kuchiki before I went to the Squad Thirteen barracks.

"Good morning, Lieutenant Abarai." A squad member greeted.

"Morning." I replied.

I continued on down the path to the Captain's office. My Captain sat at his desk working on the paperwork before him. His straight ebony locks touched his shoulders and his headpiece signified his nobility. I was so under-classed by him in every way; but it never stopped me from wanting to surpass him in strength.

"Renji, you are early." He stated.

"Yes, sir. I have a request." I replied.

He looked up from the paper he was working on and stared at me like I was insane to be asking such a thing. "And what would your request be?" He asked. My hands gripped the sides of my pants out of reflex. I was nervous to be asking for the day off to be in the company of a different squad.

"I was requested to be in the Squad Thirteen today."

"I'm aware. Captain Ukitake sent his request late last night. You are free to go."

"Thank you, sir."

I turned and walked out of the office with a smile. Nothing else was preventing me from being there for Katarina today. Deep down I knew that whatever Captain Ukitake was going to tell her, it was going to be emotional for her. I flash-stepped across the Sereitei in the direction of Squad Thirteen.

"Renji!" a female voice shouted.

I looked down and saw the Lieutenant of Squad Ten, Rangiku Matsumoto. Her long strawberry blonde hair blew against her back in the breeze. Bright blue eyes greeted me as I landed on the ground before her. "Rangiku, what are you doing up this early?" I asked slightly teasing her.

"Are you that surprised that I can get up this early?" She asked.

"Actually, yeah I am."

"For your information I am waiting for Shūhei to get up so I can give him my part of the bulletin."

"Oh… well good luck with that. I have to get going."

She raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow at me before I flash-stepped away and continued on my way to the barracks of Squad Thirteen.

**Katarina's POV**

I awoke with the sun in my face. Cringing, I flipped the blanket off me and stood up. The vision from last night was still vibrant in my mind and it came as no surprise that I thought about it while asleep as well. My body ached from the battle I had been a part of the previous day. "How did Soul Repapers get used to this kind of activity?" I asked myself.

"You'll get used to it." Rukia's voice echoed from the doorway.

"Rukia…" I said slightly stunned to see her standing there.

"The Captain is ready whenever you are."

"Okay. Thank you for informing me."

I followed her out of the room and into the main office area. Ichigo was already present. His eyes made contact with mine and the look he held was unlike anything I've ever seen in his eyes. They looked sad and defeated. I wondered what could have caused that reaction upon seeing me.

"Good morning, Katarina." Captain Ukitake greeted.

"Good morning, Captain." I replied.

I sat down next to Ichigo and shifted a little in the cushion. Renji's warm spiritual pressure caressed my skin like an embrace and I smiled when he walked in. He instantly sat down next to me and leaned in to kiss my cheek. Captain Ukitake blinked several times in obvious surprise.

"Katarina, what do you know of the circumstances in which you were born?" He asked.

"Kisuke told me that my mother died after I was born. He also said that my father was really my father."

He sighed heavily as his shoulders slouched. Something was wrong. I could feel it deep within the core of my being. "Some of that is true." He said before taking a long sip from his tea cup. I fumbled with my fingers under the table, trying to stay as calm as possible. The images from my vision were starting to invade my mind. I wanted to ask him about what I had seen.

"Your mother was already pregnant with you when she fled to the World of the Living. Kisuke helped her with a gigai that would sustain her and the baby. I made the arrangements for her to leave the Soul Society for her protection." He explained.

"So my father really isn't my father is he?" I asked.

"No."

I thought I would have felt worse about learning the truth; but deep down I knew that he was right. I never did fit in with either one of them. The comment Isshin had given me about me looking like my father had been just a coincidence. The white haired Captain closed his eyes and I could sense the grief upon his aura.

"Was my mother's name Catalina?" I asked.

"Yes it was. How did you know that?"

"I had a vision last night. I saw you talking about her. She meant a lot to you, didn't she?"

"Yes, she did. She was everything to me and when I found out that she was being targeted by hollowed, I panicked."

The pieces were started to fall into place and the missing parts were starting to become even clearer to me. My mother must have had the gift of visions like I did. She was the first target of Aizen and when she died they needed to wait and see if I possessed the same gift. "So who is my real father? Is he still alive?" I asked.

"He's very much still alive-"

"It's you isn't it?" I interrupted.

Rukia's eyes grew wide with my accusation. He was the only logical person to be my father. He was shown in my vision for a reason and I believe that was the reason. If it was the truth, I couldn't image how he felt after seeing me for the first time. "You really are your mother's child. Perceptive and very smart. I always loved that about her." He said softly.

"So that is a yes then?" Renji asked.

"Yes, I am her biological father." He replied.

"Didn't you even know of my existence?"

"Of course I did. I'm the one who put you with your parents. I did it to protect you from whatever was targeting your mother and now we know that was Aizen."

The pain in his voice was very real. I was finally reunited with my father. It would take some getting used to; but at least I knew that he was alive and understood me. I couldn't wait to get to know him. Renji's fingers laced with mine and gave my hand a squeeze. I turned to face him with a smile upon my lips.

"What does this mean for Katarina?" Ichigo asked.

"She is full blooded Soul Reaper. Her body is a gigai, not a human body. Kisuke just made a feature so it ages like a human as she grew up."

"Am I bound by the Soul Society now?" I asked.

"That is up to the Head Captain. It's not my call; but if it was, I'd like you to stay here."

I tightened my grip on Renji's hand. There were so many things running through my head and a lot of information to take in. I wanted to explore my feelings for Renji; but now I wanted the chance to get to know my father. On top of all of that, there was the fact that Aizen and his army of hollows want me for some reason.

I stood up and started to walk away. I needed some air. "Rina, where are you going?" Renji asked.

"I need some air." I replied.

**XxXx I hope this answered some your questions. Please review with your thoughts. XxXx**


	14. Chapter 14

**Author Note: I've changed my penname and I am the same person as AutumnEvening008. I apologize for the long update. My laptop got a virus and I had to get it fixed. On top of that I've a case of writer's block. Rukia is going to be a little OOC. I apologize. This chapter is going to focus mainly on Katarina learning about her mother. Onto the new chapter and as always please review.**

Chapter 14

**Katarina's POV**

I had to get out of the room. I felt like all the air had escaped my lungs and I was going to suffocate. I placed my hands on the railing and leaned in. The breeze from the spring air felt amazing on my face. Running a hand through my hair, I sighed.

"What do I do?" I whispered.

"Just take small steps." Rukia's voice replied.

I swiftly turned around to see the beautiful petite woman standing behind me. She searched my eyes, obviously looking for something. I didn't know if she was being sincere or just felt like she had to be nice to me because of who my parents are.

"It's a lot to take in. Just a few months ago, I thought I was just this odd girl with a curse and now I find out that I'm actually a Soul Reaper by blood, not a substitute." I replied.

"I know. That's why I think it's best if you get to know Captain Ukitake. I believe this has been hard on him."

I looked at her with a look of confusion. Deep down, I wondered if he even cared that I was raised by someone else. I wanted to know why he left me with them after my mother died. _**"It'll be alright."**_ Hakuhyō's voice echoed inside my head. Her voice was soothing and it reassured me that she'd be with me no matter what. We were bonded and it made me feel happier knowing that.

"Why are you out here?" I asked.

My question caught her by surprise, because her violet eyes widened. I really didn't mean for the question to come out the way it did; but it was too late now. It was already out of my mouth.

"I'm curious about you. I wonder why both Renji and Ichigo care for you so much."

Her answer wasn't what I had expected to hear; but to be perfectly honest, it was something I'd expect to hear from someone who was jealous. "Ichigo cares; but it's more sibling love than romantic love." I replied.

"Is that what you think?"

"Rukia, this really isn't any of your business. Renji has been there for me through all of this. Ichigo turned his back on me, if you recall that dance a couple days ago."

She couldn't seem to form another word in her mouth. I walked away from her in the opposite direction, towards the courtyard. The sound of birds chirping made me smile. There were so many things running through my mind and even more questions than before, thanks to Rukia's interruption.

Tears stung my eyes and I was really getting sick of feeling this way. It seemed that lately that's all I've been doing and it was really pathetic. I honestly didn't feel like I belonged here or in the World of the Living.

"Are you Katarina Misora?" A sweet female voice asked.

I lowered my head and sighed. I was also getting sick of people asking me who I was. They should already know. I was pretty sure Rukia brought me here on purpose, knowing that all of this information and attention would get to me. It was pretty obvious that she didn't like me.

Her feelings for Ichigo were plain as day; but I didn't understand why she wouldn't want Renji to be happy. I finally turned around to face the source of the voice. Long black hair and a similar shade of crystal blue colored her eyes. A snowflake was tattooed on the top of her right hand.

"Yes, I am." I replied.

"My name is Miya Hikari. Your mother and I were close friends." She stated.

Looking at her, I got the feeling that they weren't just close friends; but relatives. "Are you sure that you were friends?" I asked curiously. A smile crept to her glossed lips. Everything about her screamed royalty. The kimono she was wearing was a light pink and long piece of black fabric trailed behind her as she walked closer.

"We are cousins actually; but we were pretty close."

"Then maybe you can tell me why she was targeted."

Her smile quickly faded and she turned serious in a matter of seconds. Her eyes expressed several different emotions. It almost looked like the irises were swirling. "I honestly don't know. We assumed it was because of her ability to see the future and her ability to use kido very differently." She answered.

Her answer confirmed my suspicions of the visions being hereditary. Even more questions popped into my mind and I didn't know if she'd be willing to answer them. Shaking my head, I decided against asking her anything else. Instead, I wanted to know why she was there to begin with.

"Why are you here?" I asked in an emotionless voice.

"I came to see you. I mean you are the rightful heir to the Misora clan."

I didn't want to think about my family being some sort of royalty. Just being a Soul Reaper by blood was big enough to take in; but I still had to worry about Aizen targeting me, probably for the same reasons as my mother.

"You know, your mother was the leader of the clan since she was sixteen years old."

"So that's why you're here, you want me to take over as the clan leader."

"Miya, is that you?" My father's voice said.

I turned to see his long white hair flowing against the breeze. Miya looked at him and a sudden smile appeared. He stood next to me and the warmth of his spiritual energy caressed me in an invisible embrace.

"Miya, it's been seventeen years. How are you?" He greeted.

"I've been fairly well, Jūshirō. The clan is stable with the stand-in leader."

"Katarina." He called.

"Yes…" I replied.

"Could you give us a moment to speak alone?"

"Of course, I'll head back inside."

I turned around and only looked back once. Something told me that the conversation wouldn't be pleasant. Miya would want me to return to the clan, while my father would want me to remain with him. I was being torn between two places and no one asked me what I wanted.

Once I got back to the office, Rukia was sitting inside. She only briefly glanced at me before returning to her work. I just continued onward and stepped into the room I had slept in. Sliding to the floor with my back against the door, I finally let my tears roll down my cheeks.

**Jūshirō's**** POV**

"So why did you sent her away from conversation?" Miya asked.

"She's been through enough for one day. This is between us anyway." I replied.

Miya shrugged her shoulders, admitting submission for the conversation. Her eyes reminded me so much of Catalina's. It was almost scary; but I knew that those were a Misora family trait. "Why did you lie to her about your relation to Catalina?" I asked.

"You heard that huh?"

"Tell me what exactly you're after."

"Think about it! Telling her that I am Catalina's sister would be harder to deal with than being just a cousin. Even you've said it before; I look a lot like her."

I paused for a moment contemplating what she was saying. She was right in the fact that she looked a lot like Catalina. "Again, I'm going to ask you exactly what you're after." I asked with a much harsher tone.

"She's the heir to the clan. She needs to understand who she is and where she belongs." She replied.

"For the love of god, Miya. She just got here. I want to know my daughter before you try and take her away."

Miya crossed her arms over her chest. She obviously didn't like my response. I honestly didn't care. Katarina is my daughter and I refused to let her go. I had to watch her mother go and at the time, I wasn't in a position to help her. The pain of the day still dug in like a stab in the chest.

"You have a week before she has to return to the clan." Miya stated.

"A week! You are crazy to think that will happen."

Her eyes narrowed and a spark of energy circled her hand. It was a threat towards me and anyone else that dared to get involved in her affairs. I raised my hands up in submission for the time being. I knew that I would have to go to the Head Captain to discuss this matter.

"I'll see you in a week, Jūshirō." She said and turned away.

**Katarina's POV**

After what seemed like an hour or longer, I decided it was time to leave the room. When I walked out, there was no one around. The office was completely empty. At this point, I really missed Renji. He always knows just what to say to make me feel better. I walked out of the office onto the pathway. The sun was still high in the sky and the white clouds moved across slowly.

"It's so beautiful here." I whispered.

"It is isn't it?" My father said walking up to me.

"It's peaceful. I could get used to not having to listen to car horns blare, extremely loud neighbors, and a lot of other things that I had to deal with while living in New York. Karakura was a lot better than America."

"I'm glad you think that. Ichigo's family has taken good care of you over the last few months haven't they?"

I turned to look at him, wondering if he knew that I had been sent there. Has he been keeping tabs on me the whole time? "Yes, they have. They welcomed me instead of fearing me."

He reached his hand out to cover mine. I looked up at him only to see his eyes were closed. He was thinking about something that pained him. I could feel it. Was he thinking about my mother or was he thinking about me? "Why does Miya want me to become the clan leader so badly?" I asked.

"It's a pretty demanding job and with you being the only child of Catalina, it makes you the heir and the rightful leader. The fact is the Misora clan is right below the Royal Family of the Soul Society in power."

I gasped in surprise. What he was saying meant that I really was royalty. It was too much to think about. It pretty much meant that my freedom would be long gone. "How come you and mom never married?" I asked. His posture tensed again. Even after seventeen years, the pain of her death was still fresh in his heart.

"We were. She just kept her last name. The process was a long. The clan had strict rules about who she was allowed to marry and a Squad Captain wasn't on their list of candidates. We had to see each other in secret for years until she chose me as her suitor. The royal family didn't object to her wishes; because she was their way to see the future."

That is how my life would be unless I got away from it. I didn't want anything to do with being part of the clan. I wanted to live my own life and protect the people I cared about. My hand gripped the railing to the point my knuckles were turning white. "I think that's enough depressing talk. Is there anything you'd to know about around Sereitei?" He asked.

I thought about it for a moment and the only thing that popped into mind was Renji. "Can you give me a tour? This place is beautiful and you can tell me about the places we go." I suggested. He smiled and turned around, issuing me to follow him. The nervous butterflies were starting to flutter in my stomach. I really hoped I'd see Renji on this tour.

Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw Ichigo sitting on the roof of the office staring up at the sky. I completely forgot that he was still here. I figured he would have gone home by now and left me here to fend for myself. I wondered if he was still there because of Rukia or if it was because he didn't want me to be alone. Either way, I was glad he hadn't left.

**XxXx Sorry so short. I promise the next one will be much longer. A tour could take a long time lol. Let me know what you thought of the chapter. XxXx**


	15. Chapter 15

**Author Note: I apologize for these chapters taking so long to come out. I want to thank all my readers and for the reviews. I appreciate them very much. I hope everyone enjoys this new chapter and as always please review with your thoughts.**

Chapter 15

**Renji's POV**

After leaving the Squad Thirteen barracks, I felt bad for leaving without saying goodbye to Katarina; but she just seemed like she wanted to be left alone. Inside the office within Squad Six, Captain Kuchiki was finishing the last stack of paperwork.

"I thought you were going to be gone all day." He commented.

"She needed some time alone to let the information sink in." I replied.

Byakuya looked up from his desk and looked at me. His expression surprised me. It almost seemed like he knew how I felt. It was no secret that the man missed his late wife, Lady Hisana. "Don't get involved with her Renji. She doesn't belong here." He stated.

"What do you mean, sir? She's a Soul Reaper by blood." I replied.

"She's the heir of the Misora clan. Her place is with them, not here."

I knew he wouldn't say anything else on the subject. He made his opinion known. Turning away from him, I found my stack of papers and started my long day's work. I could feel Rukia's spiritual pressure approaching and it made my concentration waver.

"Rukia Kuchiki, permission to enter Captain?" She said, her voice was muffled by the large doors.

The Captain looked up and granted her entrance. It was unusual for her to address him other than 'brother'. I wondered what she was thinking. She walked into the room. Her violet eyes made contact with mine and smiled.

"Brother, could I speak to Renji?" She asked.

He raised an eyebrow at her. She never requested such things and even I had to admit it surprised me. "Make it quick. He has work to do." He stated and returned to his work without another glance.

I followed her out of the office and onto the outside pathway. Rukia's expression gave me the impression that something was wrong. Those violet eyes that I always thought to be beautiful were staring at me.

"So what did you need to speak to me about?" I asked.

"I'm curious Renji. Why do you care so much for Katarina?"

I froze. My heart accelerated by just the mentioning of her name. Rukia never expressed jealousy before; but this was definitely how she was acting at the present moment. It actually made me want to laugh. She had turned me down months ago and now she was acting like a jealous ex-girlfriend.

"Why do you really want to know this? Is Ichigo not good enough anymore?" I asked with a bitterness attached to my voice.

"That's not it."

"Then what is it?" I snapped.

The harsh words were already out of my mouth before I could stop them. Her mouth opened to speak; but quickly shut again. She was choosing her words wisely and it probably was in her best interest to do that, considering that I wasn't in the mood to deal with jealousy. "I'm just concerned for you. We really don't know much about her." Rukia finally replied.

"No, you don't know much about her. I know plenty."

"Don't be stupid, Renji. You really don't know anything."

I crossed my arms over my chest, ready to just walk away from this pointless conversation. She obviously wasn't listening to anything I had to say. "I've heard enough. If this is all you came to say then you can go back to your squad."

"Renji, please…"

"Rukia, Katarina has made me feel wanted. You turned my feelings down months ago, so why act like you care now?"

"What is it about her that both you and Ichigo are drawn to her?"

The look in her eyes was filled with loneliness. She felt alone now that she wasn't the center of the attention. In some ways I felt bad for her; but in others I didn't, simply because she needed to feel what being rejected felt like.

"She's selfless."

**Katarina's POV**

Walking with my father made my stomach calm down and the knots relax. I wanted to know more about his home and where I came from. To be perfectly honest, I really didn't want to know much about my mother's clan. I wanted to know about her, just not the clan. My father's long white hair flowed around him as the breeze blew through his locks and mine.

"Squad Twelve is on the left. Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi is the head of the Department of Research and Development. His crew is the one who found you in the World of the Living." He explained.

"I see. So they sent Rukia out to find me and bring me back here?" I asked.

"Yes, under my orders."

It made sense that he would order someone to bring me back; but why Rukia of all people. It couldn't be any more obvious that she didn't like me; in fact, she probably downright hated me. I looked over at my new surroundings, never stepping inside their boundaries.

"Dad"

"Yes…"

"Why does Rukia hate me so much?"

He looked like a deer caught in a headlight. My question surprised him immobile. I don't think he knew about her hatred for me. "Did she say something to you?" He asked. The look in her eyes, when she asked me why Ichigo and Renji cared about me, flashed into my mind. I really didn't want to complain about anyone or anything within his squad; but it just bothered me.

"Not exactly. She just asked me why someone cared about me. It almost seemed like she was jealous."

"Is this about Renji?" He asked.

My eyes widened a little more upon hearing his name. He laughed a little as he witnessed my surprised face. "I take that as a yes." He said and reached over to touch my shoulder.

"Kat, Rukia and Renji have been close friends for over a century. I don't think it's jealousy; I believe its concern or skepticism. She doesn't really know you yet."

"If you say so, you know her better than I do."

His smile put me at ease and we continued on passed Squad Twelve. The sky was bright blue with white fluffy clouds passing along as if there was no care in the world. I wished that life was simple or wished that mine could be a little simpler than it was at this present moment.

We bypassed Squad Eleven. He said that Kenpachi Zaraki was their Squad Captain and he wasn't fond of outsiders or anyone from other squads inside his boundaries. I was perfectly okay with skipping it. Squad's Ten, Nine, Eight and Seven were really nice to me. Even Lieutenant Hisagi of Squad Nine smiled at me.

"Squad Six is next and their Captain is Byakuya Kuchiki, Rukia's brother."

I knew all of that; but it still didn't quell my nerves upon entering the barracks. The squad members greeted my father warmly and with great respect. I admired him even more. As we turned the corner to head to the office, Rukia and Renji were talking outside the doors. My stomach twisted into a knot all over again.

"Lieutenant Abarai, is Byakuya inside?" My father asked.

"Yes, sir." He replied.

His eyes made contact with mine and a small smile crept to his lips. The heat was starting to burn my cheeks, turning them pink. My father turned to look at me and obviously saw the color on my cheek; because he turned to Renji with a raised eyebrow. I saw Rukia roll her eyes at the display of silent affection between him and I.

"What is all the commotion out here?" A voice asked as the doors opened.

A man stepped out with shoulder length black hair and the most beautiful shade of slate eyes. The head piece in his hair symbolized his nobility and it was then that I knew that the man before me was Byakuya Kuchiki.

"Sorry, Byakuya. I was asking Renji if you were inside."

"Jūshirō, what brings you here?"

"I came to introduce you to my daughter, Katarina."

He shifted his gaze at me. His eyes seemed to dig into me, making my palms sweat at my sides. I was so nervous that I couldn't even think straight at all. Renji pushed a little of his spiritual pressure out the caress my skin. He was silently comforting me and I loved every moment of it.

"She's definitely a Misora, that's for sure." Byakuya finally said turning his gaze away from me.

I didn't let his lack of enthusiasm affect me. If he was anything like Rukia, he wouldn't like me either. "It was nice to meet you, Captain Kuchiki." I said before following my father down the path. Renji's hand brushed against mine as I passed him and it made me smile.

Squad Five was the original squad that Sosuke Aizen was Captain of; so we skipped it as well. Squad Four was the treatment squad and I instantly felt drawn to their Captain, Retsu Unohana. The way she spoke was filled with intelligence and I instantly respected her.

"Dad, maybe we should head back." I said.

"Are you sure? We haven't been to Squad's Three, Two or One."

"I'm sure. I'm sure you have lots of duties that you need to get accomplished today."

He smiled and simply nodded his head. I followed him closely, trying to avoid being seen. After all the people I was introduced to, I just felt overwhelmed. I just wanted to be in the quiet of Squad Thirteen's barracks.

**Renji's POV**

I finished up the day's work and laid it upon the Captain's desk before walking out of the office. The moon was high in the sky and it reminded me of the night I sat on the roof of the school with Katarina. Just thinking about her made me want to see her. I just let my body walk and pretty soon I was flash stepping towards Squad Thirteen.

The night was fairly quiet considering I was passing through Squad Eight. Usually Captain Kyoraku had a party of some kind. By the time I got to Squad Thirteen, Ichigo was sitting on the roof. "What the hell are you doing out here?" I asked.

"I was debating on going back home." He replied.

"Oh, I see."

"I don't think I'm needed here anymore. Kat has found where she belongs and I can't interfere with that."

He was basically saying that he wanted her to go back to the World of the Living. I really didn't know what to say to him. Ichigo stood up and turned to look at me. "Take care of her, okay." He said and vanished before I could even say a word in response.

I let out a sigh and gazed out across the courtyard. I could barely make out a figure standing next to one of the willow trees. The curiosity got the better of me and I decided to go see who was out there at this time of night. The closer I got the more detailed the silhouette became.

"Renji, is that you?" Katarina's warm voice whispered.

"Yeah, what are you doing out here?" I asked.

She turned to face me. Her usual beautiful blue eyes were puffy and red, like she had been crying for quite some time. I wanted to know what would make her cry. There were so many ideas as to why that floated inside my mind. "I needed to be alone. It's peaceful here and it relaxes me." She answered.

"Did something happen?"

"Rukia wanted to know why you and Ichigo care about me so much. I don't think she likes me very much."

I had a feeling that it had something to do with Rukia. Even her appearance at the office was strikingly odd. The warm breeze flowed through her hair, whipping it across her face. I reached out to take her into my arms; but she backed away from me. "Rina…" I whispered the hurt was plainly obvious in my voice.

"I think she's finally realized that she cares more for you than a friend. I think you should be with someone you wouldn't get in trouble being with." She stated.

I stepped closer to her once again, refraining from touching her; but I was close enough that I knew she could feel my breath on her skin. "Is that what you want or is that what you think I should do?" I asked leaning against her ear. Her body went ridged and I knew that I was making her nervous.

"I…"

I leaned in even closer to her face. I knew she could feel my breath on her lips and I could feel hers on mine. She bit her bottom lip, figuring out what she would say to my question. Inside, I was laughing. I knew that I wanted her, no one else. Katarina took a step back, distancing herself from me and I wasn't about the let her go without answering my question.

"Rina, do you have answer?" I asked with a sly smile.

Her coy behavior made her even more desirable to me. I wanted to kiss her right that very second; but I waited, biding my time for the right moment to literally sweep her off her feet.

She turned her head away from me. "It's what I think you should do. I'm part of the Misora clan and I really don't belong here or anywhere for that matter." She replied. Her reasoning was well thought out; but I wasn't buying it. Her reason had nothing to do with why she said what she said.

I took another step closer, closing the distance once again. My hand cupped her cheek and within seconds my lips captured hers. She didn't move at first; but when my other arm wrapped around her waist pulling her up against me, she returned my kiss. Her lips moved across mine in a heated want.

Using the kiss as a distraction, I used my arms to lift her up bridal style. A muffled squeal escaped her throat and I smiled upon hearing it. "What are you doing, Renji?" She asked. I didn't answer her; because I didn't really know. I kissed her lips again and then proceeded to walk back to the barracks.

"Renji."

"Yeah."

"Thank you for being there for me."

I stopped mid-step and looked down at her. Her eyes were glassy with tears. Something was wrong and it wasn't just what Rukia said to her that's the problem. It was something else. She wiggled out of my arms and stood before me. "Rina, what aren't you telling me?" I asked with concern in my voice.

"I overheard my father talking to Miya Hikari this morning. She told him that he has one week before I have to be turned over to the Misora clan."

My heart stopped for a split second. I couldn't imagine not being around her. Within months, she became the most important person to me. Her safety and happiness was my priority. She wrapped her arms around herself and the tears finally fell from her eyes. Instinctively, I wrapped my arms around her. Feeling her tremble broke my heart and all I wanted to do was comfort her.


	16. Chapter 16

**Author Note: It's truly wonderful to read all of you guy's reviews. They brighten my day up. Thank you so much for taking the time to review it. I apologize for the long wait for this new chapter. It's getting difficult to come up with ideas; but I hope you enjoy it and review with comments.**

Chapter 16

**Katarina's POV**

I knew that I only had a week before I had to leave for the clan and it made me feel even more alone. Renji was holding me ever so tightly and it made me think that he didn't want me to leave either. It amazed me how my feelings for him appeared in the first place and how quickly they deepened every time we were together.

"Renji, I don't want to leave. This place feels like home to me." I said between sobs.

He looked at me and I could see the heartbreak in his golden brown orbs that I loved so much. I couldn't help it; I leaned in and pressed my lips onto his, holding onto his uniform. His hand reached up to cup my cheek. The feeling of his lips against mine made my heart pound against my chest.

I could have drowned in his warmth. The way he made me feel was completely new to me and I didn't want to mess it up. His tongue swiped against my parted lips and my mouth opened a little further, allowing him access. His hands roamed my sides; but as one of his hands brushed against one of my breasts, I froze. I was completely out of my comfort zone now.

"Renji! Katarina!" Rukia yelled from behind us.

We separated instantly and looked at the smaller woman's saddened face. Something was wrong and it was more than her not liking my budding relationship with Renji. "What's wrong, Rukia?" Renji asked.

"I can't find Ichigo." She replied.

"He said something about going back home so maybe that's where he went."

The moment he said those words, my heart fell. I had forgotten about Ichigo due to all the events that have happened to me since arriving here. I wondered why he was leaving so suddenly. Was it because of me? Or was it because of something else he wasn't saying? My eyes met Rukia's and it instantly regretted it.

Rukia cared about both of them and I knew exactly how she felt. Knowing that Ichigo left without saying goodbye was hurtful. Her eyes turned angry and that anger was directed at me. "He left because of you." She said harshly.

"Why would you say that? He left because he wanted to." Renji replied.

It sounded like he was trying to convince himself of that fact. Her eyes narrowed even further. I sympathized with her; but it was becoming harder for me to do so when she continuously blamed me for things for not going the way she wanted them to go. I closed my eyes and silently searched for a trace of his spiritual pressure.

"Rina what are you doing?" Renji asked.

"Searching for his spiritual pressure." I replied.

The moment I said it; I felt it. My eyes opened quickly and my lips curved into a smile. Renji gave me a sweet smile. It was his way of telling me to stop him from leaving. There were things that I needed to tell him before he'd never see me again.

**Renji's POV**

"Where the hell is she going?" Rukia snapped.

"She found him. Can't you feel it?" I replied.

She sunk to her knees. I sat down next to her. In all my years of knowing her, never once did I see her this upset about something. "Rukia-"

"Don't! I thought both of you cared about me. Until Katarina came along I thought I was going to have to choose between the two of you; but as it turns out I didn't have to."

"We do care about you. I just feel more for Katarina. I can't speak for Ichigo; but I wouldn't give up on him so easily. He's the one you want and you know it."

I touched her shoulder and she shrugged it off. Rukia got up and flash-stepped away without another word. Not only did I hurt my best friend's feelings, I had to eventually say goodbye to the woman I fell in love with.

**Katarina's POV**

I rushed as quickly as I could to the senkaimon at the edge of the Sereitei. I was grateful that his spiritual pressure was strong; because I had absolutely no clue where I was going. This was all foreign territory to me.

Bright orange hair came into sight and I was relieved to know that I wasn't too late. "Ichigo!" I yelled and he turned his head to see who had called his name. The look in his eyes halted me from taking another step towards him. His brown eyes were glassy and it seemed like he could break down at any moment.

"Katarina…" He said softly.

"Ichigo, weren't you going to say goodbye to me?" I asked.

"I felt it best if I didn't. I told Renji to look after you."

In my mind, he was leaving because of me. I knew that I was going hurt one of their feelings by choosing between them; but I never thought it would turn out like this. I didn't care if anyone was watching; I wrapped my arms around his chest tightly. I wasn't about to live my new life without saying goodbye properly.

The thought of never seeing him against broke my heart. He had always been accepting of me living at his home in the World of the Living and I could never repay him enough for that. His arms wrapped around me, holding me close to his heart. I could hear it beating inside his chest. "Kat, we will see each other again. You act like we won't." He said.

"That's because we won't. I have one week before I have to go over to the Misora clan. No one will see me again." I replied.

He tensed up and I could see the anger flash in his eyes. I felt his hand take hold of mine. His thumb moved in circles across the back of my hand. "That's unfair. Don't you have a say?" He asked.

"My father doesn't know that I overheard him talking to one of the Misora clan members. I doubt I have a say in anything; but there is one other reason I came to find you."

"What's that?"

"It's about Rukia."

The second her name came off my tongue he went ridged. I knew that he felt things for her no matter how hard to tried to deny them or hide them away from everyone else. Just the mentioning of her name made his resolve crumble to pieces. It was nice to see that, despite the fact she hated me.

"She cares about you Ichigo. Her face hasn't been the same since coming here. What happened to make all of that change?"

**Ichigo's POV**

Her question came as a surprise to me. I really didn't think I'd be talking about Rukia to a woman I have grown to care a lot about. The problem was I couldn't figure out what lengths my feelings for her went. Were they loving ones or were they sibling like? There was only one way that I could think of to help me decipher them and that was to kiss her.

"She saw me watching you and Renji on the roof last night. I saw the kiss you to shared and I guess I got a little jealous."

"Ichigo, Rukia made it clear on more than one occasion that she cares for you on a romantic level. She brushed Renji's feelings for her aside for you."

Despite hearing that from her, I didn't believe that. Rukia wasn't someone that would brush someone's feelings aside like they were nothing. I pulled Katarina closer to me and peered into her crystal blue eyes, watching the irises swirl with her unique energy. Since meeting her I felt drawn to her, like a moth to a flame. Only I was the one that was going to get burned.

"Ichigo, please stay for-"

I cut her off with my lips pressing onto hers. She froze and didn't attempt to kiss me back. I had my answer that I was looking for and I pulled away from her. The moment my lips touched hers, it felt like I was betraying Rukia. Katarina's eyes were still wide in shock. "For her." She finished and took a step back, putting distance between us.

"Go to her, Ichigo." She said.

**Rukia's POV**

I walked along the pathways of the Squad Thirteen's barracks. The moon was full and high in the sky. My brother was probably standing outside his quarters at the mansion looking at the beauty of the moon. He always loved to look at it. I never understood why until now. He was reflecting on memories of the past.

"Rukia, are you alright?" Captain Ukitake asked as he approached me.

"I'm fine, Captain. I was just thinking." I replied.

"The moon is good to help with thinking. Your brother is quite the expert in that."

"You should be resting Captain."

He laughed a little at my suggestion. Even though he was a sickly person, he never let it bother him. He was still there for all of his squad members and even members who weren't part of Squad Thirteen. "Thank you for your concern; but I feel alright tonight." He stated and continued on his walk.

His appearance was kind of out of the ordinary. This day just needed to be over so I could concentrate of other things other than my personal life. All it seemed to do was get in my way of what was really important. Walking down the pathway, I felt Ichigo's spiritual pressure. Deep down, I was glad that he hadn't left; but I also felt sad, because he wasn't staying for me.

"Rukia!" He yelled.

His bright orange hair was only thing I saw in the night air. He had a smile upon his face that I had never seen before. Something must have happened when Katarina went to find him. The closer he got to me the more nervous I become. He was acting very differently than yesterday or any other day I've been around him.

"I thought you left." I said softly.

"I was going to; but Kat talked some sense into me."

Yeah, he was definitely different and I wanted to know why. He took another step closer to me and my heart started to race in anticipation. He towered over me by a good six or seven inches. For a woman I was pretty small. He looked so vulnerable at this moment. I sucked in a breath of air when he leaned down towards my face.

"Ichigo…what…what are you doing?" I asked stumbling over my words.

"Something I should have done a long time ago." He replied.

Was he going to kiss me? That was one thing I dreamed about for months. Ever since that night I gave him my Soul Reaper powers. His warm breath brushed across my lips and I just waited for the connection. The alarm suddenly sounded and he straightened up to look around for the cause of the alarm.

"Attention, Menos in West Rukon. I repeat, Menos in West Rukon. All personnel report to their Captains for orders immediately."

I looked up at Ichigo in a panic. It was almost unheard of for Menos to appear unless they were drawn to something. His hand went to my shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. "We will finish this later. It's time to go." He said.

"Yeah."

**Katarina's POV**

I ran back to Squad Thirteen's barracks to see if I could help my father in anyway. I hoped that he allowed me to participate in the battle. I needed to prove to myself and to everyone here that I belonged in the Sereitei and not in some clan. This was my only chance to do just that.

"Katarina!" Ichigo yelled from behind me.

I turned to see him and Rukia running in my direction. It pleased me to see them together. Rukia no longer had hatred in her eyes; but there was still distrust. I was okay with that and someday I'd earn her trust along with the hundreds of Soul Reapers within the Sereitei.

"Good you're all here." Kiyone said walking out of the office.

"What are the Captain's orders?" Rukia asked.

"He wants you and Ichigo to go on ahead. Katarina, you will head in with the Captain."

I was happy with that. At least I got to go and didn't have to wait here for them to return. Inside the office, my father was giving orders to his subordinates. He saw me and gave me a warm smile. I couldn't tell you how good that made me feel to see that directed at me. I felt loved and welcomed.

"Kat, you are coming with me." He said.

"Yes sir."

He stopped a moment at the way I addressed him; but it didn't take him long to be ready to head into battle. I was surprised that I could keep up with his speed as we raced across the Sereitei to the gates that led to the Rukon District. I always wondered where the other souls ended up when they passed on and now I would get to see it firsthand.

The familiar screeching of hollows sounded from a few meters away from the forest behind the first district. Discreetly, I pointed in that direction without saying a word. He caught my meaning and we were off again, running. My zanpakuto was itching to be released in another battle and to be perfectly honest I was itching to fight again to.

"Are you sure that you are comfortable going into battle? You could always go back and hold down the fort back at the barracks with Kiyone."

"I'm fine, father. This is my only chance to prove that I belong here and not in some clan I know nothing about."

He looked stunned by my statement and then that's when I realized that he didn't know that I overheard him talking to Miya in the courtyard. "I overheard you talking to Miya. I don't want to leave here and I'll do whatever it takes to prove myself here." I stated and unsheathed my blade, preparing myself for battle.


	17. Chapter 17

**Author Note: Thank you for all the reviews. I'm glad to see the positive response this story has received. There are only a couple chapters left until the end. I hope you all enjoy the new chapter and I apologize for taking so long to post it.**

"_I am the one that is walking the night_

_Sleepless I'm dreaming eyes wide open_

_Watching the sky for the ashes to fall_

_Ending illusions- I keep on hoping."_

_Recommended Song: 'A Prophecy of Worlds to Fall' _

_By: Xandria_

_And_

'_Invasion' Bleach OST Movie Number 2_

Chapter 17

**Renji's POV**

After the alarm sounded, Captain Kuchiki gave orders to all squad six members including myself. I was to lead unit two into battle. My mind couldn't seem to focus. I was concerned about Katarina and whether or not she'd be participating in this battle. Knowing what she was like, she would persist until she was allowed or she'd sneak her way into the battle without anyone's knowledge.

"Lieutenant Abarai, what are your orders sir?" A squad member asked.

"We destroy all Menos and protect the Sereitei at all costs. Evacuate the villagers when we arrive." I ordered.

"Yes Sir!"

We rushed out of the Squad Six barracks and towards the Rukon District. It had been quite a while since I've been there. It brought back a lot of memories of my past. I grew up in the poorest part of the Rukon and met Rukia. Together we vowed to become Soul Reapers to live a better life.

"Renji!" Rukia's voice yelled from behind us.

I turned around to see her running with Ichigo. Her eyes held a different warmth to them that I had never seen before and I wondered what could have happened to make them change so much. "Where is Rina?" I asked abruptly.

Instantly her lips narrowed at the mention of her name. Ichigo shrugged as if he knew nothing about Rukia's display of disgust. "She's with Captain Ukitake." She snapped and it annoyed me how petty she was acting at a crucial time like this one; but it was a relief to know she was with someone that would keep her safe.

The familiar screech of the Menos was getting louder as we got closer to the Rukon District. My unit scattered ahead of us to evacuate the villagers. Ichigo tried to go on ahead of us; but Rukia held onto his arm to prevent him from going anywhere. I understood her concern. Although, I knew that he could handle himself.

**Katarina's POV**

I followed my father outside of the barracks. The closer we got to the gate the more I could feel intense spiritual pressure. It was pretty similar to the hollow I fought in New York. Just the thought of the man sent my blood on fire with rage. He would pay for what he did.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" My father asked.

We entered the Rukon District and I could see tall thin creatures that looked all alike. They all had black bodies and white faces with long pointed noses. They didn't seem very intelligent. In fact, they seemed confused as to what they were doing. _**"Were they really that strong?"**_ I mentally asked myself. I looked up at the tree at the far right of the forest and saw him standing on one of the branches. His shoulder length black hair and red eyes were unmistakable.

I could feel my spiritual energy increase and an aura of blue surrounded me. My hand held the hilt of my sword tighter and I knew he would be the one I'd go after. The image of the only mother I've ever known lying in a pool of blood flashed inside my mind, which only furthered to anger me more.

"Katarina…"

"I'm sure that I want to be a part of this battle. He will pay for what he did."

He looked up and finally saw who I was looking at. I doubt he knew who he was because he wasn't present in New York; but judging from his expression he knew enough to put two and two together. I could sense other strong spiritual pressures closing in on us and in that moment I leapt forward ignoring my father's protests. I didn't want anyone else to defeat the hollow before me.

"KATARINA!" My father yelled.

**Renji's POV**

I heard a voice yell Katarina's name and it alerted me instantly. The voice must have belonged to Captain Ukitake. The panic was settling in and I could no longer hide my concern for her from anyone. Ichigo and Rukia looked at each other. The unit I was in charge of returned. "The villagers are evacuated sir." A squad member stated.

"Renji, forget about her. Concentrate on your mission." Rukia said.

"Rukia, you go and help Kat. Renji and I will go on ahead." Ichigo said.

"But…"

"No, just go Rukia."

She sighed but did as Ichigo asked. When she was gone, I turned towards Ichigo. "Thank you." I said. He just smiled and shifted his hand in the direction of the Menos. I smiled and nodded my head in agreement. The unit followed us closely as we arrived at our destination. The Menos were completely out of control and crushing houses left and right.

"Alright men, now is the time to step up and protect the Sereitei." I said loudly.

"Yes sir." They replied at once.

Ichigo leapt up in the air and began to attack the sluggish creatures. His zanpakuto sliced straight through one and it started to dust away into the air. "Roar, Zabimaru!" I yelled and released my shikai. The snake-like sword swung out as an extension on my arm. The force of the blade sent two into each other.

**Katarina's POV**

The hollow noticed me closing in on his position and turned to look me dead in the eyes. A sinister smile shaped his lips and it infuriated me even more. I clenched my free hand into a fist and gathered energy into the center of my closed palm. "Hadō 54, Haien." I said and threw a purple destructive flame at him.

He held his hand up, palm flat, and shattered the energy into pieces. "Did you really think you could hurt me with that level of kidō?" He asked narrowing his eyes. I really needed to step up my game if I hoped to defeat him and avenge her death. The breeze flowed through my hair and blew it around my shoulders as I stood my ground beneath the branch he was standing upon.

"My name is Katarina Misora, daughter of Captain Jūshirō Ukitake of Squad Thirteen and Catalina Misora the 27th head of the Misora Clan. I'll be damned if I let anyone use me for their personal gain." I stated.

I lifted my zanpakuto up in position to attack. The hollow leapt down from the branch and stood before me. "Well if we are doing introductions then I should comply as well. My name is Ashijo Calius and I serve Lord Aizen." He replied. His red eyes radiated with power and I realized that I was in a world of trouble; but there was no way that I was about to give up that easily.

"So where is the red haired soul reaper that came to your rescue the first time?" He asked.

He was talking about Renji and it made my heart race just hearing his name. I closed my eyes pushing my thoughts of him away from the front of my mind. His sly smile returned when I gave him no reply.

"Are you not going to answer me?" He asked.

"Not a chance in hell. Freeze, Hakuhyō." I called.

Black ice appeared beneath me, freezing the grass beneath my feet. My blade turned black with two white stripes on both sides and a snowflake dangled at the bottom of the hilt. Cold wind blew in a cyclone around me, protecting me. I wasn't in the mood for his questions and I wasn't about to let him hurt Renji. This was my battle and mine alone.

"Just surrender and make this easy on yourself."

Ignoring his comment, I twisted my wrist and shifted my feet in just the right way. Leaping forward, my blade made contact with his in a loud crash of metal on metal. Remembering everything that Kisuke Urahara taught me in combat, I flash-stepped to get behind him then used Kyokkō. Kyokkō was a kidō technique that made spiritual pressure completely hidden.

"Little bitch, where the hell are you?" He snapped.

I swung upward and caught him in the shoulder. Blood sprayed out of the wound and landed on the mossy ground. He stumbled back a few steps before attacking me head on. I braced myself for his next move until I saw a wave of ice heading in his direction out of the corner of my eye.

"What the hell-" He said before he was cut off by the ice surrounding him.

I turned to see Rukia standing there holding her pure white zanpakuto in her hand. She was the last person I thought to see helping me. Our eyes met for a brief moment before I turned my attention back to the frozen hollow. "I never thought you'd help me." I said quietly.

"Ichigo and Renji sent me to help you." She answered.

"I see, well tell them that I don't need it. I'm perfectly capable of handling this myself."

She clenched her fists together. "Are you that dense that you think that you don't need help with someone as strong as this guy?" She snapped and took a step closer to me. Before I could blink, she grabbed a chunk of my hand and pulled me down to her level.

"Don't be stupid. Renji needs you to stay alive. Do you have any idea what it would do to him to know that you died in battle?" She asked again.

My eyes widened in surprise. I never thought that she'd be the one to give me a lecture on what was important. I could feel Ashijo's spiritual pressure increase and in a matter of seconds the ice shattered around him, freeing him from his confines. "You're right Rukia. How do you want to go about this?" I asked.

"It's your battle; I'm only here to make sure that you don't get killed."

"Fair enough."

I turned my attention back to the hollow that took someone special away from me. He brushed the remnants of ice off his shoulders and then began to laugh in a sick and twisted way. "What a pathetic attack. It had absolutely no power behind it." He commented. Rukia sneered at him and his comment. It obviously got under her skin, which I was beginning to think happened a lot.

"You're fight isn't with her, it's with me." I stated and held my sword out once more.

I could still see the open wound on his shoulder so I knew that he couldn't heal himself. _**"Katarina, you must embrace me completely if you want to win this."**_ Hakuhyō's voice echoed inside my mind. Digging deeper inside, I found the strength she was talking about. The aura that surrounded me increased in size and power. Hakuhyō was my other half, a different side to the same soul. I was lucky to have her as my zanpakuto.

"Byakurai…" I whispered.

A surge of electrically energy pulsed out of my right index finger. He batted it away like a fly. It was the perfect distraction for what I really had in mind. "Bakudō number 61, Rikujōkōrō." I said and six angular beams of light shot directly into Ashijo's abdomen. He struggled to get free for a few moments. Even I knew that level of kidō wouldn't be enough to hold him for long.

"Don't think this will hold me for long." He yelled.

I held my sword up level with my chest. A round sphere formed in the center of my blade. The cold wind tickled against my cheek as I pushed as much energy into the sphere as I could. "You will pay with your life for killing the only mother I've ever known." I said.

"You're full of it. There is nothing you can do to kill me." He replied.

The energy continued to flow into the sphere and the more that left me, the weaker I felt. This was my last effort in killing him and if I didn't succeed this time, I would be forever haunted by that fact. _**"I love you, Katarina."**_ Her voice echoed as the memory of her last words flowed into me.

"Tōketsu-Kyū" I yelled swinging my blade around in a full circle.

**Renji's POV**

The group of Menos had greatly diminished; but I could sense Katarina's spiritual pressure rising to a new level. It scared me to think that she was in that much trouble. I wondered why Rukia was helping her. Did she hate her that much too just let her battle alone. "Roar, Zabimaru." I yelled sending my snake blade out for an attack.

"Getsuga Tenshō!" Ichigo yelled.

His blast of energy severed three in a row. It still amazed me to see his strength up close. The fact that he was just a substitute Soul Reaper and he had this much power astounded me. When the last Menos had been slain in our section, I felt Katarina's spiritual pressure rise again. Only this time it continued to fluctuate. I had an uneasy feeling about it. Something was definitely wrong.

"Ichigo, something is wrong." I stated.

"I know. I feel it to." He replied.

"Sir, what are we to do?" A young squad member asked.

I looked at them and tried to decide what to do. I was conflicted between duty and my emotional connection to Katarina. "Renji, Ichigo!" Captain Ukitake's voice sounded from the trees behind us. He couldn't have arrived at a better time. He appeared out of the trees and stopped to take a deep breath.

"Captain Ukitake…" Ichigo said softly.

"Katarina needs your help."

His voice was full of desperation and instead of questioning him why he wasn't helping her, I stepped forward intending to help her myself. "You don't have to ask me twice." I stated.

"I'll look after your squad members. Please hurry, I've got a bad feeling."

"Don't worry, I'll protect her."

I leapt forward into the woods without a second thought about what would happen to me. All I cared about was her and her safety. "Hang on Rina, I'm on my way." I whispered to myself.

**End Note: I hope you liked the first part of the battle. **


	18. Chapter 18

**Author Note: Well readers this is the second to last chapter in the story. It's been fun writing it for all of you and I'm pretty pleased with the result. I've been thinking about writing a new story with a fairytale concept; but I don't know which one to do, so let me know which one you'd like to see. Here is the new chapter and I hope you like it. R&R please.**

Chapter 18

**Rukia's POV**

I lifted my arm up to shield my eyes from the intense wind. Katarina had unleashed a fairly large amount of spiritual energy in the blast. It was hard to tell if it connected or not with the debris flying around everywhere; but deep down I felt that it had. I had faith in her abilities.

She may not be my favorite person; but she is my Captain's daughter and my childhood friend's girlfriend. There was no way I could let her die here.

When there was a clear opening within the debris, I saw the sphere had stopped dead in the palm of the hollow's hands. His eyes began to glow to an intense shade of red. The feeling of his spiritual pressure was almost suffocating.

"Kat, get back!" I yelled.

Her body was frozen with shock. I doubted that she thought he'd hold off her attack. Her eyes narrowed in frustration and held out a hand, palm flat vertically.

"Hadō 33, Sōkatsui." She called.

A wave of blue flame was expelled from her hand and it connected with her sphere energy. The explosion was immediate and I didn't have time to get to her. Trees crumbled to the ground around them and I was powerless to help.

"Rina!" Renji yelled leaping through the clearing.

"Renji…" I whispered.

His eyes went wide in horror; but as soon as he took a step towards the fallen trees a sinister laugh echoed throughout the entire forest. I clenched my hand around the hilt of my zanpakuto, preparing myself for a sneak attack.

"Come out you coward!" Renji yelled.

The laugh only got more hysterical. Renji formed fists at his sides, obviously trying to keep as calm as possible under the circumstances. The trees started to float away one by one until the hollow was standing before us with Katarina's unconscious body in his arms.

"Put her down right now." Renji demanded.

"Not likely. Lord Aizen would like the girl brought to him."

This was exactly what I was afraid of. Sosuke Aizen was a sneaky bastard that needed to be dealt with as soon as possible for the sake of the Soul Society and the world. Renji couldn't contain his anger any longer. He rushed in blindly and unleashed his shikai without a second thought.

"Roar, Zabimaru." He called.

The snake-like blade extended outward towards the cocky hollow holding the love of his life. Ashijo used a technique that was quite similar to a Soul Reaper's flash-step to get out of the way.

"Damn you, arrancar. Put her down!"

I didn't know if I should assist him; but at the same time we couldn't afford to lose Katarina to the enemy. Pulling my zanpakuto from the sheath at my side, I turned the blade sideways in front of me.

"Dance, Sode no Shirayuki." I called.

**Katarina POV**

_ I knew that I was unconscious. The combination of attacks made a pretty violent explosion. My back had hit the truck of a tree and the back of my head snapped back harshly. Before I knew it, I was in my inner-world staring my zanpakuto's manifestation in the eye._

"_Katarina, you need to wake up." She stated pleadingly._

_ I tried to; but no matter how many times I tried, my body remained here in this world. __Hakuhyō__ reached out and took my shoulders in her hands. She began to shake me roughly._

"_Ha… ku… hy__ō__, what… are… you… doing?" I asked between shakes._

"_Don't you realize how much danger you're in right now?" She asked._

_ Her voice was frantic and desperate. I wondered exactly what was going on around me. Was Rukia okay? Wondering if she was okay, made me hear Renji's plea. His voice was a faint whisper; but it was definitely his. _

"_Renji…" I whispered._

_ The thought of him dying to protect me was unsettling. The anger was starting to build within me and __Hakuhyō__ took a step back upon feeling my energy swirl around me. Her flawless face cracked a smile. It made me feel better seeing that she still believed in me._

"_Come on body, WAKE UP!" I yelled._

_ Still nothing, my body remained still in its unconscious state. The frustration was settling in and my energy still continued to surge. __Hakuhyō__ placed her hand upon mine, twining her fingers around my own._

"_Concentrate. You must focus on the task before us. We must escape Ashijo's grasp." She stated._

_ All I could do was nod my head in agreement. She closed her eyes and within seconds, I could feel her energy flowing into me. It made me wonder if this was one of those rare occasions that the Soul Reaper and zanpakuto latterly unite as one._

**Renji's POV**

Rukia and I came from both sides of Ashijo, attacking him at the same time; but his speed was far superior to ours. I watched his grip tighten on Katarina's prone body and it tore me to pieces on the inside.

"Give it up Soul Reapers, you've lost this battle." He commented.

"I'll never give up on her." I replied.

The moment those words were out of my mouth, her body began to glow with a blue aura. Her arms flexed with strength and she kicked the side of Ashijo's head, making him let go of her just long enough for her to escape his hold.

"Damn you, woman!" He grumbled.

She landed back down on her feet in front of me. I wanted to reach out to her; but I remained still. Her long black hair flowed across her back, swirling along the pathway of her energy. "I'm not going anywhere. My place is here and always has been." She said.

I couldn't help but feel relieved by her statement. The only problem was that it wasn't her choice to stay within the Sereitei; it was the Misora clan and the Head Captain's decision. The thought of her being sent to the clan was heartbreaking in itself.

Katarina held her released shikai sword in her hand. The aura the circled her pulsed with a life if its own. The crystal blue color of her eyes shimmered like a reflection upon water. There was something about her energy that was completely different than before.

"You will never get what you want. I'll see to that." She said again.

"And what exactly do you think you can do? Your attack didn't even leave a scratch on me."

"I can do plenty. My zanpakuto and I are one. Our strength will defeat you right here and now."

She lunged forward. Her blade collided with his drawn sword. The sound of metal on metal surprised me a little. Rukia took a step closer and I held my hand to stop her from interfering. "Renji, what are you doing?" She asked.

"This is her fight. She must defeat him on her own." I replied hating the fact that I had to say it at all.

I had to watch Katarina fight someone who was clearly stronger than her and all I could do was have faith in what she spoke only moments prior.

**Katarina's POV**

The shock I felt when our blades connected, stunned me for a moment; but I quickly regained my footing and attacked once more with a twist of my wrist. His attacks were impulsive and easily predictable, which made me think he wasn't an experienced fighter. _**"Aizen must be using him as a test."**_ Hakuhyō said.

If that was the truth, I pitted him. He was just being used and that was wrong. No one, not even a hollow should be used for any reason.

"Give it up woman, you can't win." He said.

"I can't do that."

I used shunpo to get around him quickly. Snapping my wrist down, I swung my sword across his back. He let out a small groan of agony as the blood dripped from the open gash. It even surprised me that I got the hit in to begin with. A slight smile cornered me lips, boosting my confidence in my ability to defeat him. _**"Let's end this Kat."**_ Hakuhyō said. It made me smile to hear her use my nickname so casually.

Ashijo straightened his body and attacked me in a fury of swift strikes and quick thrusts with his blade. Moving my wrist from left to right repeatedly, I managed to block all of his attempts to harm me.

I knew Renji and Rukia were watching their eyes bore into me at my back. They must know that I couldn't keep this fusion up for long. The concern I felt radiating off them was enough to convince me to stop playing and just end it.

"What do you say to finishing this the old fashioned way?" I asked.

"Fine by me." He replied clenching his teeth together.

I didn't have a choice but to defeat him here and now. I needed to be with the people I belonged with. Despite knowing that most everything in my life has been a lie up until now, I still wanted to belong somewhere. Now that I had, I didn't want it to escape my grasp when it was so close to me.

Hakuhyō's presence wrapped around me, comforting me in the best way she knew how. Her power filled me and mixed with my own. A circle of black ice encased around feet and it continued to climb up my body. "Rina, what are you doing?" Renji yelled.

"Is this supposed to impress me?" Ashijo asked.

Ignoring both questions, I continued to concentrate on the process of using this ultimate technique. The ice engulfed my body completely; but I could still breathe within the icy tomb. A flash of my mother's body just lying in a pool of her own blood appeared in my head. Memories of my childhood spilled into my thought. "I will avenge you…" I whispered.

"You must hurry. We don't have much time left." Hakuhyō stated.

I closed my eyes and used all the energy we had to fuse it inside the ice around me. "Kuro Kōrinoseishin." I whispered and the ice shattered around me, sending the shards that were fused with our energy out. Ashijo couldn't move as the shards pierced his flesh a hundred times over.

"Damn…" He whispered before falling to his knees trying to hold onto his fading life.

As he started to fade away into nothing, my vision was starting to get blurry and I stumbled back falling down to a knee. Hakuhyō whispered how proud she was of before I could no longer hear or see anything.

**Renji's POV**

I quickly caught Katarina in my arms before she fell to the ground. Rukia looked down at her and brushed away the hair that was on her face. A smile caressed her lips as I lifted her up. "Katarina!" Captain Ukitake yelled coming out of the clearing.

"She's alright, Captain. She just fainted from using too much spiritual energy." Rukia assured.

"Thank goodness."

He looked at me and gave me a gratifying smile. We started to walk out of the forest only to be stopped by my Captain. Byakuya had a stern look upon his face and I knew that I was in trouble for not listening to his orders completely. Before I could even say something, Rukia stepped forward.

"Brother, Renji-"

"Renji disobeyed my orders." He said cutting her off.

"Byakuya, he was doing me a favor by protecting my daughter."

Katarina stirred awake in my arms. I looked down to meet her soft blue eyes that just melted my heart every time I saw them. She gave me a weak smile and I just wanted to kiss her until she was breathless. "Renji…" She said softly.

The sound of my name coming out of her mouth made my heart race uncontrollably. She snuggled her head into my chest, falling back to sleep. In my mind, she was the most perfect thing and I couldn't believe she was in my life; but the nagging feeling of her potential parting from the Sereitei left me feeling sad.

"It's obvious my daughter is quite taken with your lieutenant, there is no need to punish him for protecting her." Captain Ukitake defended.

"It would appear so…"

Captain Kuchiki turned his back on me and started the journey back to the barracks. Captain Ukitake gave me a smile and allowed me to walk in front of him. Once we got back to the Sereitei, I took Katarina to Squad Four for medical treatment.

The barracks were busy with healers running up and down the hallways. Lieutenant Kotetsu stood at the end of the hall directing traffic and giving orders to members who needed them. She caught sight of me before long and looked down at Katarina in my arms. "What happened, Renji?" She asked.

"She used too much spiritual energy fighting an arrancar. I don't think she's in critical condition; but could you look her over just to be certain?" I asked.

She eyed me in a confused manner. It wasn't something I asked often; but Katarina was everything to me and I had to be sure there was nothing life threatening going on. She smiled and pointed to the room across from us. "Take her in there and I'll be in momentarily." She stated and turned to her other squad members.

I walked into the room and laid her down on the bed gently. Her sword was still clenched in her hand and I pried her fingers away from the hilt and leaned it against the wall next to the bed. Sitting down in the chair next to her, Isane walked into the room. After a sigh of tiredness, she walked closer to Katarina.

"Renji, is this the Misora clan's heir?" She asked.

"Yeah…" I replied.

"By the look on your face she means a lot to you."

She held her hand over Rina and closed her eyes, searching for any life threatening occurrences within her body. I didn't know how to answer Isane's statement. This whole thing was confusing. I just wanted to be with Rina and have no interferences; but it was out of my hands and hers.

"She's not critical; but she definitely needs some rest. Her energy is completely drained." Isane said.

"Thank you for checking." I replied.

"She can rest here in this room for the time being."

With that said, Isane walked out of the room and I was left alone with Katarina. I reached out and took her hand into mine and placed my lips upon her soft skin. She shifted a little in her sleep, rolling onto her side facing me. I smiled and in a matter of minutes I fell asleep sitting in the chair.

**XxXx- Kuro ****Kōrinoseishin**** (Spirit of black ice)**

**Well the last chapter should be up soon. I hope you liked this one. XxXx **


	19. Chapter 19

**Author Note: Sorry this took so long to write. I've been working a lot more than I used to; so I hope you all understand that I wasn't neglecting this on purpose. I really hope you enjoy this last chapter and maybe I'll write a sequel someday. Let me know what you think.**

Chapter 19/Epilogue

**Renji's POV**

Two days have come and gone since Katarina defeated Ashijo; but she remained asleep in the treatment center within Squad Four. Things returned to normal almost immediately after the incident and I returned back to work. Captain Kuchiki was more quiet than usual. I mean he wasn't overly talkative to begin with; but this was unusual even for him. I guessed it had something to do with my disobeying orders to protect Katarina.

"Renji…" A warm voice said snapping me out of my thought.

I stopping walking along the pathway and turned to see Rukia approaching me. She had a smile upon her face and it made me wonder what had her so happy. She stopped a foot away from me, shifting her head to the side. "Are you okay? You seem out of sorts." She asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just want Rina to wake up." I replied.

"You love her don't you?"

Her question surprised me. I guess it came as no surprise that she would know me so well even after being apart for over forty years. We were after all close friends; as close as any family would be. A smile slowly inched its way to my lips and I confirmed her suspicions. "Yes…" I answered.

"I'm happy for you. I'll admit I wasn't too fond of her at first; but I saw how she fought to protect the people she cared about and how she looks at you. There is no denying that she loves you."

"Thank you, Rukia."

"Come on lets go visit her."

He tugged at my sleeve and I walked with her to the Squad Four treatment center. Isane greeted us warmly and let us pass to Katarina's room. The sun shone brightly through the open window. The warm breeze caressed her still body and blew a few strains of her hair into her closed eyes.

"Rina…" I whispered.

"Glad you came to visit her today." Captain Ukitake's voice sounded from behind us.

We quickly turned around to face the Captain. His facial expression told a story. He was extremely worried about his daughter and his time with her was coming to an end. Miya, from the Misora clan, has requested Katarina presence within the clan. "Captain, is there any changes with her?" Rukia asked.

"Not really. Captain Unohana says she will make a full recovery; but it will take time since she used up every bit of her energy in that battle."

I didn't know what to say. Deep down, I felt that it was partially my fault that she was in this position. I didn't do much to help her. He reached out and placed a hand on my shoulder. I looked up from the floor and met his gaze. "This was not your fault, Renji. She wanted to battle on her own." He stated.

"Captain! Captain!"

Kiyone and Sentaro walked into the room, pushing each other to stand ahead of the other. They never seized to amaze me how they could fight over attention from their Captain. Katarina's father turned to see what the commotion was about. "What is it?" He asked.

"The Head Captain has summoned you, sir." Kiyone stated.

"Summoned?" Rukia questioned.

Somehow I knew it had to be about Katarina. The Head Captain didn't summon someone without a really good reason. Shifting, I turned to look at her. I sucked in a startled breath of air when her body was surrounded by a blue aura. Her closed eyes started to flutter and her clenched hand crackled with energy.

"Kat…" Rukia whispered.

I ran to her side and saw her blue eyes opening to meet mine. A smile was immediate and the aura faded to nothing. She slowly sat up and looked around.

**Katarina's POV**

When I finally awoke, my vision was crisp and clear. Clearer than it used to be from what I could tell. Renji hovered over me and I instantly felt the joy embrace my heart. My father smiled at me and ran a hand over his hair, indicating that he was relieved to see me awake. "Renji…" I whispered and reached up to touch his face.

"Rina…"

"Just making sure this wasn't a dream."

He chuckled and bent down, gathering me into his arms and embraced me tightly. "Silly girl, you are not dreaming. We are all really here." He said into my ear and the happiness surged through my entire body, accelerating the butterflies in my stomach to flutter continuously.

"I really don't want to end this moment for you guys; but I do have to attend a summons meeting with the Head Captain." My father interrupted.

I looked passed Renji and looked straight at my father. His eyes were hiding emotions that he didn't want to express to me. He was happy for me; but worried about me at the same time. I could only guess that it was because of the time constraint I had. The Misora clan would be coming for me soon enough.

"Take me with you, dad." I stated before I could even think about what I was saying.

"Katarina, I appreciate that you want to defend yourself; but let me handle this, okay."

All I could do was nod in agreement. He gave me a reassuring smile and walked out of the room with Kiyone and Sentaro trailing behind him. I pulled my legs up against my chest, letting out a sigh.

**Jūshirō's**** POV**

I stood in front of the Head Captain's large meeting room door. The guards granted me access fairly quickly and I was allowed into the chamber. The Head Captain stood before his desk. "You summoned me, Head Captain…" I said quietly.

"Let me get right to it. I received word from the Misora clan. They want the heir returned to them."

"Sir, I'm her only living parent don't I have some say on where she goes."

He raised an eye at me, questioning me and what I had just spoken. The truth was that I didn't want her to leave at all. She was my child and I never got to know her thanks to the Soul Society's rules.

"What would you have me do?" He asked.

"Let her make her own decision." I replied.

"If she chose to stay here with you, what would you have me do about her abilities?"

"Let her be a Soul Reaper. She's a pure blood, born from Catalina Misora and myself."

His slit eyes closed once more as he was contemplating what I had suggested. I was quickly dismissed to leave him to his thoughts.

**Katarina's POV**

I walked outside of the medical treatment center and sat down on the grass in the courtyard. The air was warm and my thoughts were running wildly inside my head. The only thing I ever wanted was to fit in somewhere and feel like I belonged there. This place granted me that wish; but it was about to be taken away from me because I was born from the previous clan leader.

I had no idea what to do. I didn't know a thing about leading an entire clan of people. I was still a teenager or at least I thought I was. Who knows how much of that was true. I wanted to know my father and everything there was to know about being a Soul Reaper.

Renji's face popped into my head the second I thought of Soul Reapers. Thinking back on how we met and the conversations we had, I couldn't help but wonder if it had been fate that brought him into my life. He understood me when no one else did and before I knew it, I had fallen in love with him.

"There you are. I was wondering where you went to." Renji said sitting down next to me.

"Renji, I'm sorry."

"What are you sorry for?"

The tears were rolling down my cheeks before I could even try to stop them. I knew that I needed to tell him how I felt before I was taken away. Reaching over, I wrapped my arms around his neck, holding on tightly. His body was ridged and it took a few seconds for him to relax against me. "I wish I would have told you this before now." I said between sobs.

"Told me what?" He asked.

"I love you."

He unclasped my hands from around his neck. I looked at him through my teary eyes. His expression was unreadable. My heart pounded against my chest so hard I thought it may leave a bruise. He remained silent and it was slowly breaking my heart. It felt like he didn't return my feeling.

"Do you not feel the same way?" I asked.

Before he could open his mouth to answer my question, my father bolted around the corner. He looked like he had run a marathon trying to find me. Pushing back the hurt I felt by Renji's nonexistent answer, I got up and walked in my father's direction. Without even thinking, I walked into his arms hoping he'd embrace me.

"Katarina…are you alright?" He asked.

I nodded my head against his chest. He hugged me tightly. I was grateful to know that he cared about me as much as I have grown to care about him. Renji stood up and watched us intently. "The Head Captain would like to speak with you." He said softly and I instantly pulled away.

"I guess this is it then. I'm going to be shipped back to the clan…" I snapped.

"I'll escort her there, Captain Ukitake." Renji said approaching me.

"That would be great. The Captains will be present as well."

I almost brushed him away and asked for my father to escort me there; but something in Renji's eyes made me disregard the thought. We slowly walked out of the courtyard and down a path. The trip there was silent and he never spoke one word about anything. As we turned a corner, the large Squad One barracks door was in front of us.

"Rina…" Renji said.

"Don't…"

"I love you too."

I froze for a moment and then swiftly turned around to run into his arms, forgetting why I was even angry with him to begin with. He lifted my head up by a fingertip and leaned in. His lips pressed onto mine and I instantly melted. Tingles scattered throughout my entire body, making me just pulse with happiness. "Alright, you need to go in there. I'll be right out here." He whispered against my lips.

"Alright…"

I hesitantly left of him and approached the large doors. Two guards stood in front of it. They were a lot taller than I was and I felt really small compared to them. "State your business." One demanded.

"My name is Katarina Misora and I was summed by the Head Captain." I replied.

Both moved out of the way and allowed me passage inside. I followed the path towards the meeting room. Another set of guards opened the doors for me and inside multiple sets of eyes were upon me. My father stood at the end of the line on the right side. He smiled at me, hoping it was ease my nerves; but it had no effect at all. There was so much spiritual pressure within the room that it was making it hard for me to even breathe.

"Step forward child." The old man at the head of the lines said.

I assumed he was the Head Captain my father spoke of. Without hesitation, I stepped forward until I was in the center between both lines. _**"Calm down, Kat. You will be fine."**_ Hakuhyō said softly inside my head.

"Child, you do realize that you are the heir to a very noble clan." He stated.

"Yes, sir. I am aware of that." I replied.

"Do you wish to follow in your mother's footsteps as head of this clan?"

"No, I wish to remain here with my father."

He grew silent for a moment, taking in my answers. I felt the eyes of all of the Captain's boring into me. I couldn't tell if they were hating me at the moment or commending me for standing my ground. "I will grant your wish. You will remain in the Sereitei and as a Soul Reaper."

"Thank you so much, sir."

"Is there a Captain besides Jūshirō Ukitake that is willing to take this girl into their squad?"

I was disappointed that I couldn't stay with my father; but I really couldn't argue since he had granted the one wish that I wanted. I looked around at all the Captains that weren't stepping forward, until I saw movement out of the corner of my eye. I gasped in surprise as to who had stepped forward.

"Captain…Kuchiki…" I whispered.

"Byakuya…" My father said.

"You wish to enlist her, Captain Kuchiki?" The Head Captain asked.

His eyes were closed and he simply nodded his head. I wondered if he was doing a favor to his lieutenant. My stomach was flipping around on the inside. I couldn't believe he was taking me into his squad. "Alright then, the arrangements have been made. Katarina Misora you will now be a part of Squad Six under the leadership of Byakuya Kuchiki. This meeting is dismissed."

I let out the breath of air that I had been holding and turned to look at my new Captain. His dark slate eyes made contact with mine and I started to move in his direction. "Thank you for stepping forward." I said with a smile.

"I owed your father a favor and I just delivered. Be at the office at 8am and I will give your ranking and duties within my squad." He stated.

"Yes, sir."

Despite his harshness, there was kindness underneath it all. Once I was outside the room, I walked alone towards the doors out of the barracks. I wanted to see Renji and tell him everything. His red hair was the first thing I saw and I rushed out the doors and into his waiting arms. He groaned as my head smashed into his chest.

"You seem happy. What happened?" He asked.

"I'm staying in the Sereitei!" I yelled excited.

"That's freaking great."

"That's not even the best part. I'm going to be a part of Squad Six. Captain Kuchiki volunteered to take me in."

He studied me for a moment, wondering if I was really serious or not; but when he finally realized that I was telling the truth, he picked me up and spun me around in a full circle. He leaned in and kissed my lips once more. This was the beginning of a new chapter to my life and one that will be full of danger and hardships; but as long as I have Renji and my family there is nothing I can't do.

**End Note: Thank you for taking the time to read this story and hoping someday I'll write a sequel. **


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